Crack path support for deformation mechanisms in fatigue of polycarbonate

A significant amount of research has been directed towards characterising and predicting sub-critical crack growth mechanisms in polycarbonate (PC) materials. In particular the initiation of crazes, damage evolution and growth of fatigue cracks has attracted significant attention. It is only relatively recently that there has been clarification of the underlying physics of craze initiation and growth, and of the craze influence on crack paths. In the interpretation of mechanisms of deformation, the polymer community has perhaps not embraced the use of fractographic crack path information as fully as the metals community. This paper considers the ability of advanced imaging techniques including confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) to provide evidence of crack path morphology for existing models of plastic deformation and crazing in amorphous polycarbonate. It also presents the outline of a new model of crack tip stresses which takes account of craze-induced shielding mechanisms and appears able to characterise fatigue crack growth in PC.