FRACTURE OF POLYMER NETWORKS BASED ON DIETHYLENE GLYCOL BIS(ALLYL CARBONATE)

Double torsion tests were used to evaluate the fracture toughness of a brittle organic network, poly[diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate)] commonly known as CR-39 resin, and to evaluate the enhancement in fracture toughness due to the incorporation of various additives. These additives were either polymerized to form a second network, an interpenetrating polymer network, or added as a second monomer which was copolymerized with the diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate) to form a random copolymer. The additives, which comprised two urethane acrylates, an allyl urethane and an epoxy acrylate, were found to have little effect on toughness at levels of around 2 wt% and 10 wt%. However, the stiffness of the polymer network was reduced by all four additives. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that all the additive agents had two competing influences on toughness. Toughening due to the lowering of an upper glass transition was counteracted by an antiplasticization effect, whereby the presence of the second network reduced the available free volume for segmental motion which caused an inherent decrease in toughness. Scanning electron microscopy revealed little evidence to support crazing as being an important mechanism in the deformation of CR-39 resins.