Plane Stress Fracture Toughness of Unplasticized PVC Material Determined by the Essential Work of Fracture (EWF) Approach

Abstract

Essential work of fracture (EWF) approach was used to evaluate the fracture toughness of uPVC film. It was found that the specific essential work of fracture, (we) is independent of specimen width, specimen gauge length, loading rate and test temperature, but dependent on the geometry of the test specimens. Test temperature and geometry were the only testing parameters affecting the specific non-essential work of fracture ( wp) in a very significant way. This approach has proved to be capable of determining toughness and to illustrate the crack grow from DENT specimen. This difference was confirmed by the high ductility and the development of the necking zone at the crack tip under two different conditions (Plan strain and plane stress). The present work is aimed at studying the response and ligament length effects on the fracture behaviour of a amorphous polyvinyl chloride - Pipe. The evaluation of toughness under plane stress conditions was performed by this method. The results are examined and discussed in terms of recent developments.