TIME-DEPENDENT PROCESS-ZONE GROWTH IN POLYCARBONATE

The process zone evolution strongly influences the crack growth of polycarbonate. A methodology for determination of the kinetics of the process zone evolution was developed by decoupling these two process. Constant displacement (stress relaxation) conditions under which the crack length remained. A thermodynamic model for equilibrial process zone in polycarbonate is developed from the modification of Chudnovsky model. Based on the model the driving force and a new kinetic equation for evolution of the process zone are proposed after considerly of the irreversible thermodynamics and chemical reaction theories. In addition, the validity of model and new kinetic equation are examined experimentally.