DESIGN OF PRESSURE WINDOW
Minimum thickness of a window required to withstand a pressure differential can be calculated by the following formula:
Th = thickness, inches
R = unsupported radius, inches
P = pressure differential, psi
MR = modulus of rupture, psi
SF = safety factor (We use SF=4 in our calculations)
Modulus of rupture (MR, psi) of commonly used crystals:
| Crystals | MR, psi |
| BaF2 | 3,900 |
| CaF2 | 5,300 |
| CdTe | 3,200 |
| CsI | 820 |
| Fused Silica | 7,000 |
| GaAs | 20,000 |
| Ge | 10,500 |
| KBr | 160 |
| KCl | 340 |
| KRS-5 | 4,000 |
| LiF | 1,600 |
| MgF2 | 7,200 |
| NaCl | 350 |
| Sapphire | 65,000 |
| Si | 18,100 |
| ZnSe | 8,000 |
| ZnS | 14,900 |
| ZnS Cleartran | 8,700 |
To calculate minimum thickness of a window required for a given pressure, click on the link: Thickness Calculator.
DISCLAIMER: The minimum window thickness calculation, also depends on many other factors and should be used for reference purpose only.