Mechanical properties, crack initiation and molecular structure of filled polymeric materials

In case of technical applications the service life of elastomeric materials is influenced by different damage and wear phenomena, The wear resistance of these materials decisively depends on mechanical strength and crack toug hness against crack initiation and crack propagation, Based on experimental fracture mechanics methods different polymeric materials were investigated and evaluated using the toughness parameter J-integral, For polypropylene copolymers crack resistance curves were determined and for filled elastomer s (SBR 1500, NR, BR) the crack initiation toughness were calculated. The di scussion of the experimental results is executed in correlation to the stru cture of the materials by means of a molecular interpretation.