2. Impact Strength
Glassy polymers
Toughening Mechanisms
Properties ; before & after toughening
3. Ability of a material to absorb applied energy
or ability of material to resist fracture under
stress applied at high speed
It is expressed in j/m or kg cm/cm of notch
It determines the toughness of material
ASTM D 256-06: standard test method for
determining the izod pendulum impact
resistance of plastics
5. Hard, rigid, and transparent thermoplastic
It have well defined and easily observed
craze structures
Low water absorption
Good dimensional stability
Colourability
Reasonable chemical resistance
Good electrical insulation properties
Eg.: PS, PMMA,PC
7. The main aim of the rubber modification of
glassy polymers is to improve their toughness.
Methods to increase the toughness
copolymerization
Incorporation of a second phase like other
thermoplastics
Inorganic materials
Spherical rubber particles
The last mechanism is mostly used
8. Rubber like materials have long chains
with higher flexibility and mobility
which are joined in network
Due to higher mobility the chain alter
their configuration rather fast so able
to bear higher loads
On removal of the external forces, it
goes back to the original dimensions
9. Impact toughness of glassy polymers can
be improved by the dispersion of rubber
particle.
Rubber content and rubber particle size
play an important role in Toughening
Mechanisms.
The optimum rubber particle diameter is
known to be 1-2µm
10. Well dispersed rubber particle are able to
induce different mechanisms of
toughening :
1. Crazing
2. Shear yielding
3. Combined crazing and shear yielding
11. Crazing is the
phenomenon that
produces a network
of fine cracks on
the surface of the
glassy polymers
Craze can be
observed by
transition electron
microscope (TEM)
12. Crazing is creation of small crack occur in rubber
particle in which impact energy is absorbed
This energy will be used to make the cracks
It will protect the matrix from sudden failure
TEM micrograph of crazing zone
14. In shear yielding
the rubber
particle get
yielded to the
matrix
perpendicular to
the applied force
which is holding
the matrix from
sudden failure
15. Rubber content and the gel content are almost the same between
sample A and sample C, Impact toughness is higher for sample
C. This suggests that the particle size affects the lmpact
toughness even in samples where the rubber content is the
same.
Sample content,
wt %
Rubber
Wt % gell Ave
rubber
particle
diameter
um
Izod
impact
Strength
Kg.cm/c
m2
A 8.6 23.0 0.2 6.9
B 6.5 18.3 1.0 7.7
C 8.4 23.2 4.9 7.8