ENVIRONMENTAL CRAZING OF POLYMETHYLMETHACRYLATE AND POLYCARBONATE.

Of particular interest to the manufacturer and consumer alike, is the resistance of these polymers to mechanical degradation under stress in certain unfavorable environments, such as organic solvents. Under certain conditions these materials are subject to the phenomenon of crazing and other forms of microcavitation. The formation of crazes is the precursor to cracking and subsequent failure of the material under stress. In this paper, the effects of stress and temperature on the kinetic of crazing of materials in an environment of n-butyl alcohol are studied.