Size effect, tensile strength

In Table 1, mechanical and physical parameters of different materials used for the production of high-pressure capillaries are listed. Quartz and sapphire display a much higher tensile strength than borosilicate glass. The effective tensile strength given in Table 1 includes the possible existence of faults in the material, which substantially reduces the maximum pressure the capillaries can resist, their number is also much dependent on the details of fabrication process. As the probability for faults decreases with size of the piece of material, small capillaries can endure much higher forces. Selected quartz capillaries with an outer diameter of 3 mm and an inner diameter of 1 mm were reported to sustain pressures up to 400 MPa. Yamada even reported that quartz capillaries made out of synthetic quartz can withstand pressures up to 600 MPa. ... 

Carbon blacks are the most widely used fillers for elastomers, especially vulcanised natural rubber. They cause an improvement in stiffness, they increase the tensile strength, and they can also enhance the wear resistance. Other particulate fillers of an inorganic nature, such as metal oxides, carbonates, and silicates, generally do not prove to be nearly so effective as carbon black. This filler, which comes in various grades, is prepared by heat treatment of some sort of organic material, and comes in very small particle sizes, i.e. from 15 to 100 nm. These particles retain some chemical reactivity, and function in part by chemical reaction with the rubber molecules. They thus contribute to the crosslinking of the final material. 

Masaki H, Akinobu O, Fukuji H. Effect of particle size of lactose on the compaction properties of powder and tensile strength of tablets. Yakuzaigaku 1986 46(l) 50-57. 

The properties of immiscible polymers blends are strongly dependent on the morphology of the blend, with optimal mechanical properties only being obtained at a critical particle size for the dispersed phase. As the size of the dispersed phase is directly proportional to the interfacial tension between the components of the blend, there is much interest in interfacial tension modification. Copolymers, either preformed or formed in situ, can localize at the interface and effectively modify the interfacial tension of polymer blends. The incorporation of PDMS phases is desirable as a method to improve properties such as impact resistance, toughness, tensile strength, elongation at break, thermal stability and lubrication. 

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