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Temperature and rate dependent fracture in glass‐filled polystyrene
Author(s) -
Mai Y. W.
Publication year - 1976
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.760160604
Subject(s) - materials science , crazing , composite material , fracture mechanics , polystyrene , fracture toughness , atmospheric temperature range , cracking , fracture (geology) , glass transition , relaxation (psychology) , polymer , thermodynamics , psychology , social psychology , physics
The rate and temperature dependent fracture behavior of glass‐filled polystyrene has been investigated over the crack speed range of 10 13 to 1 mm/sec and in the temperature range 283 to 396°K for three environmental conditions: (i) air; (ii) water; and (iii) hot water exposure at 363°K and subsequent drying. Relationships between fracture toughness ( K c ), crack speed and temperature have been obtained experimentally and analysed according to the concepts of fracture mechanics and reaction rate theories. Crack propagation in air is shown to be controlled by a β‐relaxation process associated with crazing. Activation energies of 200 ∼ 210 kj/mole in air and 80 ∼ 120 kj/mole in water are reported. At a given temperature and crack speed, the glass‐filled polystyrene is shown to display smaller crack propagation resistances in a water environment when compared with the air results. Specimens subjected to hot water exposure and then tested after drying also possess less cracking resistance. This toughness degradation phenomenon is a result of the damaging effects of the water which penetrates into the glass‐filled composite.