Failure Analysis of Polymeric Materials

With increasing use of polymeric materials in industry the corrosion engineer is faced with the need to have knowledge of the basic types of polymers, their characteristic features, modes of failure of polymeric components and the methods involved in characterization of polymers in failure analysis. Some characteristics of engineering polymers are as follows  

Polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide Phenol-formaldehyde-cured rubber styrenated polyester Polyimide (ladder molecules) Polyethylene terephthalate Terylene, cellulose acetate Chloroprene rubber, polyisoprene Heat-resistant polymers 

Cross-linked amorphous networks of flexible chains Rigid chains 

Moderate cross-linking with some crystallinity Rigid chains, partly cross-linked 

High-strength and temperature-resistant polymers Styrene-butadiene-styrene, triblock polymer, thermoplastic elastomer Crystalline domains with rigid chains between them and cross-finking chains Rigid-chain domains in a flexible-chain matrix 

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The various methods used in failure analysis of polymeric materials are noted below ... 

There is a growing interest in the investigation of iled materials. Since long time ago, a lot of efforts have been devoted to the analysis of failures in metallic parts and structures. Some recent texts are focused in post-failure analysis of polymeric materials (Lewis and Gagg 2010) and polymer composite (Greenhalgh 2009). Most adhesives are polymers, and they are used nowadays in an uncountable number of applications in everyday Kfe, especially applications where a failure in service may lead to economic loss, injury, or death. The ability to determine the cause of failure using forensic engineering techniques is essential. 

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