CRAZING AND SHEAR DEFORMATION IN CROSSLINKED POLYSTYRENE

Thin films of polystyrene are bonded to copper grids and crosslinked with electron irradiation. When the films are strained in tension regions of local plastic deformation, either crazes or plane stress deformation zones, nucleate and grow from dust particles. The nature of the local deformation, as well as the local extension ratio, is determined by transmission electron microscopy. Results are compared with previous results on a variety of linear homopolymers, copolymers, and polymer blends that are characterized by a wide range of strand densities.