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Prediction and evaluation of the susceptibilities of glassy thermoplastics to environmental stress cracking
Author(s) -
Henry L. F.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760140304
Subject(s) - environmental stress cracking , materials science , polycarbonate , acrylonitrile , composite material , acrylonitrile butadiene styrene , amorphous solid , natural rubber , copolymer , cracking , stress (linguistics) , crazing , hildebrand solubility parameter , polymer , stress corrosion cracking , organic chemistry , linguistics , chemistry , philosophy , alloy
Glassy, amorphous thermoplastics experience a nearly universal susceptibility to crack and craze formation in the combined presence of stress and a chemical environment. This susceptibility has been evaluated for styrene‐acrylonitrile copolymers according to the factors which effect craze initiation and those which limit the rates of flaw propagation. Molecular weight, styrene‐acrylonitrile ratio, rubber content, and rubber phase morphology are variables which were found to affect flaw initiation and propagation. Fundamental characterization of the chemical parameters which control the initiation of craze formation in polysulfone and polycarbonate is also presented. In particular, “3‐dimensional” solubility parameters have been observed to be a reasonable means of characterizing susceptibility to environmental stress cracking.