Toughness of Polypropylene: Correlation with Cavitation measured by Light Scattering

摘要

Cavitation plays an important role in the toughening mechanisms of polymers and coherent light backscattering represents a suitable tool to determine the size and number of the cavities created during damage. In this study, the material was damaged in uniaxial tensile experiments performed at speeds ranging from 10~(-1) to 10~(-3) s~(-1) and temperatures of 0 to 60℃. The material tested was an industrial grade rubber toughened polypropylene (PP). Using electron microscopy, it was possible to distinguish between two putative mechanisms derived from the theory of light backscattering. In addition, a finite element analysis led to interesting conclusions concerning eventual boundary effects or constraints acting on the rubber particles.