Inclusions notch effect

The effect of temperature is complex. It has been shown that the higher the test environment temperature, the faster the ESC onset. The transition to brittle behavior is accelerated to shorter times by increasing temperature, cyclic loading, dilational stress, and stress concentrations. Localized concentration of the stress due to local geometrical features as notches, voids, and inclusions will increase the stress and modify the nature of the stress field. Craze initiation is accelerated by stress fields with high dilational stress and retarded under hydrostatic pressure (Wright 1996). 

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