Susceptibility to Stress Corrosion Cracking of Selected Amorphous Polymer Materials in a Sea-Water Environment

Abstract

This paper aimed to determine the susceptibility of polycarbonate and polymethylmethacrylate to corrosion cracking under specific operating conditions. The tests included static tensile and flexure, impact strength, and microscopic examination. Due to the synergistic effect of tensile stresses and seawater environment, numerous cracks are observed. Moreover, aging conditions did not significantly reduce the strength properties of the tested specimens; thus, higher resistance to stress corrosion cracking does not have a close relationship with the material's mechanical properties

Keywords

• aging
• thermoplastic
• polycarbonate
• polymethylmethacrylate
• mechanical tests