A ballistic evaluation of the impact resistance of spectacle lens materials.

The impact resistance of chemically and thermally hardened glass lenses of 2.2- and 3.0-mm thicknesses was evaluated using a ballistic test. Each lens was edged and mounted into a spectacle frame, which was placed on a standard headform. A 6.5-mm steel ball was fired from an air gun at the center of the lens at increasing speeds until the lens broke. The multiple impact data were used to plot cumulative breakage curves. We found that heat-treated photochromic glass and heat-treated crown glass fail at similar missile speeds and that chemical treating considerably improves the impact resistance of crown glass but not of photochromic glass. The poorer performance of photochromic lenses indicates that they should not be prescribed when optimal impact protection is required. Plastic lenses show superior performance.