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Essential work of fracture in polymer films

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Abstract

The fracture behaviour of two polymer films (100 μm thick) has been investigated according to the essential work of fracture (EWF) approach in order to assess the validity of the linear relationship between the specific total work of fracture and the ligament length, postulated to exist by the EWF theory, and examine the transition from plane strain to plane stress conditions. Double edge notched specimens loaded in tension were used; ligaments were varied in the range 0.3 to 45 mm. No linear relationship was found and it was confirmed that a power law can be very accurately fitted to the experimental data. An annealed copper film (100 μm thick) exhibited the same pattern of behaviour.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Polytechnic of Milan, Piazza L da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy

    G. Levita

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry and Materials Science, Via Diotisalvi 2, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    L. Parisi

  3. Department of Materials Science, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, SW72BP, London, UK

    S. Mcloughlin

Authors
  1. G. Levita
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  2. L. Parisi
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  3. S. Mcloughlin
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Levita, G., Parisi, L. & Mcloughlin, S. Essential work of fracture in polymer films. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE 31, 1545–1553 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00357863

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00357863

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