Glass and Fractures

Compiled by:
Dr. Jun Cariňo Corpuz
RMT.,RN.,MACT.,US-RN.,PH.D.
DOH Certified Drug Analyst
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GLASS
- Important physical evidence
because it breaks and pieces are
scattered at the crime scene and
on a suspect

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- Common type of thing carried
away evidence in:
a. Burglary
b. Vehicle hit and run cases
- A criminal gets glass on his
clothing and not know it.

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Brocken Panes of Glass
• Investigator if often called upon
to determine whether:
- A window was brocken from
inside or outside

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 - Determine which of two holes
in a window was made first
- A hole was caused by stone,
bullet or some other forces

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Characteristics:
a. Hard non-crystalline material
b. Usually clear and transparent
c. Glassy state or vitreous state
d. d. Atoms arranged at random
e. rather than regular
f. e. Fluid at high temperature
g. f. Super cooled liquid
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Composition of Glass
• Mixture of:
• Sand (Silica)
- most important composition
• Soda
• Lime
• Other trace elements
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 Additives’ Responsibilities
a. Alumina
– Aluminum oxide
– Units formed lead to improved
chemical durability and viscosity

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b. Boron Oxide
– Addition used in borosilicate &
aluminoborosilicate glases.
– Very heat resistant

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 c. Soda ash
– Lower silica’s melting pt.
– Allows metal containers for
processing (fluxing agent)
d. Glauber’s salt
– Sometimes used instead of
soda ash
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e. Lime
– Added to improve hardness &
chemical durability
f. Lead oxide
– High lead content lowers
melting pt.(decreased
hardness, but increases
refractive index)
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Types of Glass
• Aluminosilicate & Borosilicate
- Can withstand high temps.
• Laminated Glass
- Glass w/ plastic layer – used
in car windshields
• Lead Glass
- Fine crystal
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• Soda lime Glass
- Plate & window glass, glass
containers, electric light bulbs,
art objects
• Tempered (stressed) glass
- Side & back windows of cars;
breaks into tiny pieces
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• Potash
- Chemically durable
- Resistance to denitrification

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Elements Present in Glass
Color Element
Green Cr., Fe
Blue Cu, CO
Red Cu, Selenium
Purple Mn
Brown Fe. S
Ruby Colloidal State
Yellow Ce, U
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Analysis of Glass
1. Spectrography
- The only adequate method
for chemical analysis
- Not rapid method
- Requires small amount of
sample of glass
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2. X-Ray Analysis
- Study of diffraction pattern
- Diffraction pattern depends
upon the composition of glass

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3. Physical Properties
a. Most sensitive method in
determining differences in
composition of glass
b. Depends on:
- Constituent elements
- Treatments done
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Physical Properties:
a. Density
- An intensive property of matter
- it remains the same regardless
of sample size
- Can be used as an aid in
identification.
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 Glass Type Density (g/cm3)
Blue ornamental 2.4880
Double glazing 2.5125
Lead crystal 2.9614
Pyrex 2.2300
Quartz 2.2106
Red ornamental 2.5539
Soda 2.4862
Window glass 2.5092
Zinc titania
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Floatation Method
- Employs columns of liquid with
varying densities
- Two miscible liquids of different
densities stratified on a long
glass tube

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• Precise and rapid method for
comparing glass densities.
• Solid particles will either float,
sink or remain suspended in a
liquid.
• Uses Density Gradient Tube
Method
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b. Refractive Index
- Immersion Method
- Immersing a glass particle in a
liquid medium whose refractive
index is varied until it is equal to
that of the glass particle..

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 b. R.I. Measurement
• The change of direction and/or
speed of light as it passes from
one medium to another
• RI is a ratio of the speed of light
between two mediums (e.g.
glass & oil)

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Becke Line Method
- Refractive Index Test
- At this point, known as the
match point, the Becke line
disappears and minimum
contrast between liquid and
particle is observed.
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• The Becke line is a bright halo
near the boarder of a particle that
is immersed in a liquid of a
different refractive index

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 Becke line

• Glass has higher refractive index

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 Becke line

• Glass has lower refractive index

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 Other Refractive index (R.I.)
Measurements

• Immersion Method
- Becke
• Temp. Variation Method
- Emmons & Winchell

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• Double Diaphragm Contrast
Method
- Saylor
• Phase Contrast Method
- Oettle

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• RI is dependent on:
a. The wavelength of light
b. Temperature of the medium

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Hot Stage Microscope
- Glass is immersed in a high
boiling liquid (Si Oil)
- Heated until the match point is
reach

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4. UV Examination
- Examined in a dark room
- A difference in fluorescence
is indicative of physical and
chemical differences

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 Glass as Evidence in Crime
Forensic Chemistry Application:
a. Automobile glass in case of hit
and run
b. Broken windows caused by
pressure, blow or bullets

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2 Kinds of Glass Fractures
a. Radial Fractures
- Primary fractures
- Resemble spokes of wheel
- Radiating outward from the
point of impact

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b. Concentric Fractures
- Secondary Fractures
- Circles around the point of
impact
- Connecting to one radiating
crack to others
- Forming triangular pieces
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 Glass Fracture Patterns
• Two parts:
a. Radial
b. Concentric
• Can tell direction of force from
these

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Breaking of Glass
• When a force pushes on one
side of a plane of glass, the
elasticity of glass permits it to
bend in the direction of the
force applied.
• Once the elastic limit is
exceeded, the glass begins to
crack.
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 Breaking of Glass

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Broken Windows
Matwejeff Principle
– Radial and concentric crack or
fracture will apply:
a. 3 R’s Rule

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3 R’s Rule:
- Radial cracks form a Right angle
on the Reverse side of the force.
- Radial cracks are first
commencing on the side of the
glass opposite to the destructive
force

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 Determining direction of force
• Radial edge of glass
– 3 R’s
• Radial cracks have Right anglesDirection of force
on the Reverse side of applied force

• Concentric edge of glass

Direction of force

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Concentric Fractures
• Stress lines on a concentric
crack will be at right angels to
the front
• Concentric cracks occurs
afterwards
• Starting on the same side as
the line force
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A. Point of Impact
• The front of the glass can be
determined due to the
accumulation of dust and dirt on
the glass

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B. Direction of Impact
• A bullet makes a clear cut hole
in the side of the entrance than
on the exit side
• Depression will be produced on
the exit side due to rebound of
the glass
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 Depression

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• Radial fracture can be felt on the
exit side
• Concentric fracture can be felt on
the entrance side

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- Crater of Uniform Flakings when
a shot is fired at an angle from the
right to left side

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Cause of Fracture
a. Heat
- No definite pattern of radial
and concentric fractures
- Waxy
- Very little stress lines

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 Glass Roots Conchordial
Fracture

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b. Mechanical
- Shows definite pattern of
radial and concentric
fractures

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• Determination of the First Shot
from a Series of Shots
- Radial Fractures of the first
bullet hole are created.
- No more radial fractures from
the succeeding bullet holes

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 Bullet Holes

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Special Glasswares
a. Pyrex
b. Safety Glasswares
c. Mirrors:
- Plain & One way mirrors
d. Photochromic Glass
- Colloidal Silver Chloride
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Collection of Samples
• Glass fragments may be pieced
together, every effort must be made
to collect all the glass found.
• Submit all glass evidence found in the
possession of the suspect along with
a representative sample of broken
glass remaining at the crime scene

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• Glass fragments should be packaged
in solid containers to avoid further
breakage.
• If the suspect’s shoes and/or clothing
are to be examined for the presence
of glass fragments, they should be
individually wrapped in paper and
transmitted to the laboratory

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