An Environmental Stress Cracking (ESC) test to study the ageing of biopolymers and biocomposites

• Published in: Polymer testing Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 310 - 317
• Main Authors: Pons, N., Bergeret, A., Benezet, J.-C., Ferry, L., Fesquet, F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kindlington Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Accelerated tests; Ageing; Aging; Applied sciences; Biocomposite; Biopolymers; Composites; Damage; Engineering Sciences; Environmental stress cracking; Exact sciences and technology; Failure; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Glass fiber; Glass fibers; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Sizing; Stress cracking; Technology of polymers; Environmental stress cracking; Biocomposite; Glass fiber; Sizing; Ageing; Fiber reinforced material; Mechanical properties; Crystallinity; Experimental study; Mineral fiber; Lactone polymer; Composite material; Bending strength; Lactic acid polymer; Stress cracking; Aqueous medium; Aliphatic polymer; Artificial ageing; Water absorption; Fracture mode
• ISSN: 0142-9418; 1873-2348
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2010.11.015

An Environmental Stress Cracking test was used to investigate damage to glass fiber reinforced poly(lactic acid) based biocomposites. The study was performed in water. The main advantages were a significant decrease in experiment duration compared to natural, artificial or accelerated tests and an increase in the reliability of the results. Depending on the specific nature of the glass fiber used, significant types of failure behavior were observed.