Notch stress

Thus, it follows that at some reasonable distance from the notch, these effects on hydrogen diffusion (of notch geometry and non-uniform stresses) vanish and diffusion becomes stress-notch unaffected. According to this, a reduced... 

Tests using a constant stress (constant load) normally by direct tension have been described in ISO 6252 (262). This test takes the specimen to failure, or a minimum time without failure, and frequently has a flaw (drilled hole or notch) to act as a stress concentrator to target the area of failure. This type of testing, as well as the constant strain techniques, requires careful control of specimen preparation and test conditions to achieve consistent results (263,264). 

These values are determined by experiment. It is, however, by no means a trivial task to measure the lamina compressive and shear strengths (52,53). Also the failure of the first ply of a laminate does not necessarily coincide with the maximum load that the laminate can sustain. In many practical composite laminates first-ply failure may be accompanied by a very small reduction in the laminate stiffness. Local ply-level failures can reduce the stress-raising effects of notches and enhance fatigue performance (54). 

FIG. 28-18 Specimens for stress-corrosion tests, (a) Bent beam, (h) C ring, (c) U Lend, (d) Tensile, (e) Tensile, (f) Tensile, (g) Notched C ring, (h) Notched tensile. ( ) Precracked, wedge open-loading type. (/) Precracked, cantilever beam. [Chem. Eng., 78, 159 (Sept. 20 1971).]... 

Stress-corrosion cracks tend to branch along the metal surfaces. Typically, evidence of corrosion, such as accumulations of corrosion products, is not observed, although stains in the cracked region may be apparent. Stress-corrosion cracks tend to originate at physical discontinuities, such as pits, notches, and corners. Areas that may possess high-residual stresses, such as welds or arc strikes, are also susceptible. 

General description. In incomplete fusion, complete melting and fusion between the base metal and the weld metal or between individual weld beads does not occur (Fig. 15.8). Incomplete fusion that produces crevices or notches at surfaces can combine with environmental factors to induce corrosion fatigue (Chap. 10), stress-corrosion cracking (Chap. 9), or crevice corrosion (Chap. 2). See Fig. 15.9. 

These weld defects not only substantially reduced the mechanical strength of the weld, the pores also formed stress-concentrating notches. Consequently, when the door frame was inadvertently struck during the scrap charging operation, a fracture initiated at the deficient weld and propagated rapidly through the %-in. (1.9-cm) plate, as revealed by the brittle appearance of the plate fracture and the directional chevron markings. 

Fig. 2-22 Effect of stress intensity range dJC on crack propagation for a notched specimen of X60 steel in 3.5% NaCl solution at 0.1 Hz.

Figure 4.20 Values of stress concentration factor, Kt, as a function of radius, r, with 3a limits for a circumferentially notched round bar in tension [d A/(0.5, 0.00266) inches, = 0.00333 inches] (adapted from Haugen, 1980)...

What is important to realise is that a polymer may be tough when exposed to tensile load but brittle when assessed by an Izod-type test where a notched sample is subjected to a bending load. Table 9.3 attempts to summarise the behaviour of typical polymers to different stresses. 

The presence of notches or sharp angles or of a few holes, voids, particle inclusions or small inserts tends to concentrate the stress. Different polymers vary in their notch sensitivity and this is presumably a reflection of how close they are to their tough-brittle transitions. The aim of the designer and processor must be to reduce such stress concentration to a minimum. 

The data presented in Figure 19.7 were obtained on a Sonntag-Universal machine which flexes a beam in tension and compression. Whereas the acetal resin was subjected to stresses at 1800 cycles per minute at 75°F and at 100% RH, the nylons were cycled at only 1200 cycles per minute and had a moisture content of 2.5%. The polyethylene sample was also flexed at 1200 cycles per minute. Whilst the moisture content has not been found to be a significant factor it has been observed that the geometry of the test piece and, in particular, the presence of notches has a profound effect on the fatigue endurance limit. 

The styrene-based terpolymers were originally used to the extent of some 2-9% in order to reduce the notch sensitivity of the polycarbonate and to improve the environmental stress cracking resistance. More recently emphasis has been on alloys with 10-50% of SAN or ABS. Alloys of polycarbonates with ASA have also become available (Luran SC-BASF)... 

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