Author(s)

Norman Brown

Department of Material Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.

The purpose is to quantitatively present in a single equation all the factors that affect the failure time by Slow Crack Growth (SCG) in a semi-crystalline polymer (SCP) under a constant load. The fundamental mechanism of fracture is displayed at the molecular level. The rate of fracturing is determined by the Eyring theory of thermal activation. The resulting equation includes the important molecular properties of therein, the length and density of the tie molecules. The underlying microfracture process is the unfolding of the chains in the crystal under the action of the tie molecules.

Failure, Semi-Crystalline Polymer

Brown, N. (2019) Fundamental Mechanism of Slow Crack Growth in Semi-Crystalline Polymers under a Constant Load. Materials Sciences and Applications, 10, 721-731. doi: 10.4236/msa.2019.1011052.