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Embrittlement is a significant decrease of ductility of a material, which makes the material brittle. Embrittlement is used to describe any phenomena where the environment compromises a stressed material's mechanical performance, such as temperature or environmental composition. This is oftentimes undesirable as brittle fracture occurs quicker ...
Brittleness. A material is brittle if, when subjected to stress, it fractures with little elastic deformation and without significant plastic deformation. Brittle materials absorb relatively little energy prior to fracture, even those of high strength. Breaking is often accompanied by a sharp snapping sound.
Polymer degradation. Polymer degradation is the reduction in the physical properties of a polymer, such as strength, caused by changes in its chemical composition. Polymers and particularly plastics are subject to degradation at all stages of their product life cycle, including during their initial processing, use, disposal into the environment ...
Polystyrene (PS) / ˌ p ɒ l i ˈ s t aɪ r iː n / is a synthetic polymer made from monomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon styrene. [5] Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and brittle. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. It is a poor barrier to air and water vapor and has a relatively low ...
The glass–liquid transition, or glass transition, is the gradual and reversible transition in amorphous materials (or in amorphous regions within semicrystalline materials) from a hard and relatively brittle "glassy" state into a viscous or rubbery state as the temperature is increased. [2] An amorphous solid that exhibits a glass transition ...
Crystallization of polymers is a process associated with partial alignment of their molecular chains. These chains fold together and form ordered regions called lamellae, which compose larger spheroidal structures named spherulites. [1][2] Polymers can crystallize upon cooling from melting, mechanical stretching or solvent evaporation.
Hygroscopy is "exhibited in the most comprehensive sense, as displayed. in the condensation of the water-vapour of the air on the cold surface of a glass; in the capillarity of hair, wool, cotton, wood shavings, etc.; in the imbibition of water from the air by gelatine; in the deliquescence of common salt; in the absorption of water from the ...
Crazes (surface cracks) produced by ESC in PMMA drinking beaker. Environmental Stress Cracking (ESC) is one of the most common causes of unexpected brittle failure of thermoplastic (especially amorphous) polymers known at present. According to ASTM D883, stress cracking is defined as "an external or internal crack in a plastic caused by tensile ...