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Strength of polymethylmethacrylate in air and in n‐propanol
Author(s) -
McCammond D.,
Ward C. A.
Publication year - 1975
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.760151209
Subject(s) - crazing , materials science , creep , composite material , fracture (geology) , ultimate tensile strength , stress (linguistics) , propanol , fracture mechanics , polymer , philosophy , linguistics , chemistry , organic chemistry , methanol
A series of tests was conducted to measure the failure strengths of notched polymethylmethacrylate tensile specimens in air and n‐propanol. Tests were conducted on specimens which had been subjected to creep stresses of various magnitudes and for different times. The resulting data indicate that two opposing factors contribute to the fracture strength in n‐propanol. The presence of fluid during crack propagation increases the nominal fracture failure stress. Diffusion of the fluid into the polymer produces crazing resulting in the provision of a preferential crack path and consequent lowering of the fracture strength. The former mechanism dominates at small pre‐stresses or at short creep times, resulting in an increase in strength in n‐propanol over that in air. However, the latter mechanism is dominant at higher creep stresses and longer creep times with a resulting decrease in strength in n‐propanol compared to that in air.