Fracture mechanics are examined for the Vickers‐indentation‐induced contact deformation and damage of glassy carbons produced by different densification processes. The indentation load versus indentation depth relationship during the loading‐unloading cycle reveals that the contact deformation is purely elastic even under such a sharp indentation, which subsequently leads to an indentation‐induced ring/cone crack system instead of the median/radial crack system. The processes and mechanisms of such an anomalous surface crack system are related to the very open microstructure of glassy carbons. The ring/cone cracks induced by Vickers indentation are, however, significantly different in nature from the well‐known Hertzian cone crack which is induced by pressing a spherical indenter on a brittle surface. Demonstrated is the superiority of glassy carbons to ordinary brittle ceramic materials in resistance to strength degradation by contact with hard particles such as in ballistic situations.
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