Cleavage fracture of two polystyrenes

摘要

AbstractSuspension and bulk‐polymerized commercial polystyrenes have been fractured by cleavage and the resulting surfaces examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The method of styrene polymerization was found to influence the initiation and propagation of fracture, probably owing to the differing amounts of insoluble impurities remaining in the polymer. Various new aspects of the fracture morphology are described, and measurements of craze thickness by scanning electron microscopy are compared with values calculated from optical interference fringe