Stress analysis around a three‐dimensional craze in glassy polymers

Abstract

Stress analysis around a three-dimensional craze and a three-dimensional craze containing a penny-shaped crack has been made. The craze is treated as a transversely isotropic, oblate spheroid embedded in a n isotropic glassy polymer. The craze is assumed to consist of primary fibrils and cross-tie fibrils, such that a penny-shaped crack may form at the central regime of the craze. The craze surface stress, the stress field near the craze tip outside the craze region, and the stress intensity factor in the crack tip are determined by using Eshelby's equivalent inclusion method. Numerical values of the fracture toughness and the stress needed to sever a craze fibril at the crack tip are calculated and the results appear to be in good agreement with the data given in the literature.