Is spalling and chipping the same?

[a guest]

Is spalling and chipping the same?

[Michael]

There would be cases where you could not tell them apart, but we think of spalling as occurring without any striking forces, as the result of chemical processes or expansion/contraction under changing heat conditions, while we would think of chipping as being the result of something hitting the surface. But, generally, chipping could be considered spalling.