Effect of cyclic fatigue on the fracture toughness of Polyoxymethylene

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

External Organisational units

  • Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH

Abstract

Polymers are used in a wide range of applications and their properties are dependent upon the morphological development during processing and the specimen configuration which in turn define the mechanical properties. In this context fatigue and monotonic testing are part of the standard procedure to assess relevant mechanical and material parameters to ensure a better part design. The present work addresses the performance issues of a real component made of Polyoxymethylene (POM) which is subjected to cyclic loads from intermediate levels to high peak values inside a damping mechanism. For this linear elastic fracture mechanics concepts were used to characterize the behavior of a POM homopolymer resin used in this application. Injection molded compact tension specimens, with sharp and blunt notches, were tested under a combination of cyclic and monotonic loads and the fracture surfaces were examined. The critical stress intensity factor obtained by monotonic tests was evaluated as a function of the cycle number, where an increase after the first 1000 cycles followed by a continuous decrease with higher numbers of cycles was observed. A variation of approximately 50% and 70% were obtained along the duration of the tests for the sharp and blunt notch specimens, respectively. In light of the obtained results, a discussion is presented considering the dynamic specimen compliance and the structural features observed on the fracture surfaces in combination with the fracture mechanical response.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number012052
Pages (from-to)168-176
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Physics: Conference Series
Volume2017
Issue number843
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 May 2017