Fracture mechanics testing for environmental stress cracking in thermoplastics

Under the combined influence of an aggressive environment and applied stress, engineering thermoplastics may undergo a phenomenon known as environmental stress cracking (ESC). This can result in adverse effects such as embrittlement and premature failure in service, due to the growth of environmentally-induced cracks to critical sizes, with little to no fluid absorption in the bulk material. Fracture mechanics is proposed as a suitable scheme to study and quantify ESC, with the aim being to obtain characterising data for different polymer-fluid combinations of interest, as well as to develop a reliable fracture mechanics test protocol. In the proposed method, slow crack growth is monitored to assess the effect of a range of applied crack driving forces (K, or alternatively G) on observed crack speeds, as opposed to simply measuring time-to-failure. This paper presents the results of experiments performed on the following materials: linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) in Igepal solution and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) in sunflower oil. A discussion of the various issues surrounding the data analysis for these long-term tests is also included, as the attainment of consistent and repeatable results is critical for a method to be internationally standardised, which is a goal of the European Structural Integrity Society (ESIS) Technical Committee 4 from whose interest this work is drawn.