Observation of Environmental Stress Cracking in Polymethylmethacrylate by Using the Chemiluminescence Method

Yuji Higuchi

Energy Technology Laboratories, Osaka Gas Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan.

DOI: 10.4236/msa.2015.611107                

Abstract

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is highly regarded for its transparency, and is used in such products as cameras and Video Tape Recorders as plastic lenses to take advantage of its excellent optical properties. Also, it is used in numerous other industrial fields like automobile lamp lenses, billboards, and lighting equipment. The phenomenon of environmental stress cracking is known to occur in PMMA due to ethanol, and there are cases when this may become a factor which causes damage of molded products. In the present paper, upon close observation by using the method of chemiluminescence in order to elucidate the mechanism by which this environmental stress cracking occurs, we report that we are able to capture the formation of a radical at the moment of cracking.

Keywords

Polymethylmethacrylate, Environmental Stress Cracking, Chemiluminescence, Radical

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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