Polymer toughness and impact resistance

This report is a review of the factors that influence the impact resistance of high polymers, with an emphasis on crystalline polymers. The phenomenology of polymeric fracture is examined, including brittle and ductile failure, and the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT). An in-depth discussion of the effects of crystalline morphology follows, with special attention given to the influence of spherulite size, fillers, processing conditions, transitions/relaxations, and multilayer coextrusion. Next, rubber phase addition is considered, including mechanisms, morphology, rubber type and particle size, and test conditions. Finally, common impact test methods are surveyed, including pendulum, falling weight, tensile impact, and tensile elongation tests.