Abstract
One of the primary factors limiting the development of a better understanding of polymer-non-polymer adhesion is the lack of a good testing method for the measurement of the strength of the interface. In this paper polymer-non-polymer adhesion is evaluated in terms of the fracture toughness of the interface using an asymmetric double cantilever beam testing geometry. The test is applied to the measurement of polystyrene (PS)-glass and PS-silicon (native oxide) interfaces modified by PS-poly(2 vinylpyridine) (PVP) and PS-poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) diblock copolymers. The importance of mixed mode crack propagation is demonstrated and it is shown that through an appropriate choice of sample geometry, the crack-tip trajectory can be controlled so that the crack is forced to propagate along the interface. The PS-glass test, in particular, is shown to overcome many of the traditional problems of adhesion measurements, such as failure, away from the interface and effects of far-field deformation in the polymer. The interfacial fracture toughness of the PS-glass and PS-silicon interfaces without copolymer modification are approximately the same and weak with values of 1 J m−2. The addition of the block copolymers results in significant (>40-fold) increases in the interfacial fracture energies. The increase in fracture toughness is dependent on the quantity and degree of organization of the block copolymer at the interface.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M. Calistri-Yeh, R. A. L. Jones, E. J. Kramer and R. Sharma, Bull. Amer. Phys. Soc. 36 (1991) 683.
G. Coulon, T. P. Russell, V. R. Deline and P. F. Green, Macromolecules 22 (1989) 2581.
H. R. Brown, V. Deline, P. F. Green, Nature 341 (1989) 221.
H. R. Brown, Macromolecules 22 (1989) 2859.
Idem, ibid. 24 (1991) 2752.
C. Creton, E. J. Kramer and G. Hadziioannou, ibid. 24 (1991) 1848.
C. F. Creton, E. J. Kramer, C.-Y. Hui and H. R. Brown, ibid. 25 (1992) 3075.
H. Tada, “The stress analysis of cracks handbook” (Del Research Co., Hellertown, PA, 1973).
M. F. Kanninen, Int. J. Fract. 9 (1973) 83.
J. R. Rice, J. Appl. Mech. 55 (1988) 98.
Z. Suo and J. W. Hutchinson, Mater. Sci. Engng. A107 (1989) 135.
H. C. Cao, B. J. Dalgleish and A. G. Evans, Closed Loop 17 (1989) 19.
A. G. Evans, B. J. Dalgleish, M. He and J. W. Hutchinson, Acta Metall. 37 (1989) 3249.
H. R. Brown, J. Mater. Sci. 25 (1990) 2791.
K. R. Shull, E. J. Kramer, G. Hadiioannou and W. Tang, Macromolecules 23 (1990) 4780.
“Reichhold epoxy resin system. 37-127 resin, 37-606 hardener mixed 45 p.h.r.”, Reichhold Chemicals Inc, 525 North Broadway, White Plains NY, 10603.
P. P. L. Matos, R. M. McMeeking, P. G. Charalambides and M. D. Drory, Int. J. Fract. 40 (1989) 235.
G. E. Blandford, A. R. Ingraffea and J. A. Liggett, Int. J. Numer. Meth. Engng 17 (1981) 387.
A. J. Kinloch, “Adhesion and Adhesives” (Chapman and Hall, London, 1987) p. 302.
J. Smith, P. Mills, E. J. Kramer, in preparation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Smith, J.W., Kramer, E.J., Xiao, F. et al. Measurement of the fracture toughness of polymer-non-polymer interfaces. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE 28, 4234–4244 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00351260
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00351260