An account of the usefulness of Fracture Mechanics when applied to Engineering Plastics is given. In spite of its demonstrable value it has had limited usage and this is attributed to a lack of recognised standard test methods. A recently adopted Kc-Gc test standard for plastics is then described together with some of its origins, and it is posited that this will provide the impetus for a much wider application of the method in both testing and design.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Engineering Materials Profile - GE Plastics
2.
GriffithA.A., Phil. Trans. R. Soc. H221, 1920, 163–198
3.
RookD.P., CartwrightD.J., Compendium of Stress Intensity Factors HMSO, 1976
