Photoplastic effect in polycarbonate using microhardness measurements

摘要

Vickers microhardness indentation technique has been employed to detect the photoplastic effect in the transparent polycarbonate specimens in darkness and under mercury illumination. For low applied loads, the hardening of specimens under illumination confirms the positive photoplastic effect that causes illumination-induced increase of crosslinking (in polymer). For high applied loads the positive photoplastic effect decreases as the level of microhardness decreases.