Damage mechanisms in a toughened acrylic resin: Effect of temperature and thermal history

• Published in: Polymer engineering and science Vol. 59; no. 3; pp. 566 - 572
• Main Authors: Pini, Tommaso, Castellani, Leonardo, Briatico‐Vangosa, Francesco, Frassine, Roberto, Rink, Marta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-03-2019; Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Acrylic resins; Analysis; Cavitation; Cooling rate; Crazing; Damage; Electron microscopy; Glass transition temperature; Mechanical properties; Polymers; Temperature; Temperature effects; Tensile tests; Thermal properties; Transmission electron microscopes
• ISSN: 0032-3888; 1548-2634
• DOI: 10.1002/pen.24971

The effect of temperature on the damage mechanisms occurring in a toughened acrylic resin was investigated by studying volume changes during tensile tests, analyzing the reversibility of the damage after applying proper thermal histories and by direct transmission electron microscope observations. It was found that an increase of temperature, from 0°C to 60°C, shifts the predominant mechanism from crazing to cavitation and shear yielding. When the latter occur, the material response is very susceptible to previous thermal treatments; and in particular to the cooling rate from above glass transition temperature. Crazing on the other hand is not influenced by the thermal history of the material. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:566–572, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers