Fatigue Crack Propagation in Polyvinylchloride and Polyethersulfone Polymer Foams
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-2014
Publication Title
Journal of Sandwich Structures and Materials
Abstract
Crack growth in cross-linked polyvinylchloride and thermoplastic polyethersulfone foams under mode I fatigue cycling has been experimentally examined. Polyvinylchloride foams of densities ranging from 45 to 100 kg/m3 and polyethersulfone foams of densities ranging from 60 to 130 kg/m3 were considered. All cyclic tests employed the sandwich double cantilever beam test specimen. The test results revealed that crack growth rate (da/dN) compared at a constant cyclic energy release rate (ΔG) decreased with increasing density of the foam. The crack propagation rates in low-density polyethersulfone foams were much less than in polyvinylchloride foams of similar density. The crack growth rate in the high-density polyethersulfone foam was highly dependent on the loading R-ratio. The crack front in the low-density polyethersulfone foam displayed marked deviations from a straight shape, where the edge regions propagated faster than the center of the specimen. All polyvinylchloride foams and high-density polyethersulfone foam displayed straight crack fronts.
Recommended Citation
Saenz, E. E., Carlsson, L. A., Salivar, G. C., 2014, "Fatigue Crack Propagation in Polyvinylchloride and Polyethersulfone Polymer Foams," Journal of Sandwich Structures & Materials, 16(1) pp. 42-65.
DOI
10.1177/1099636213505304
Volume
16
Issue
1
Comments
Support for this research was provided by the National Science Foundation (CMMI-0824827) under a sub-contract from University of Delaware.