Fracture and fatigue in High Impact Polystyrene : the influence of secondary phase morphology (Rubber Particle Size and Effective Rubber Phase Volume) on fracture and fatigue behaviour in HIPS

Abstract

The subject of the following thesis is the influence of the secondary phase morphology on fracture and fatigue behaviour in High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS). The motivation of the work was the premature failure of parts manufactured from HIPS materials whose micro structures, it was thought, were optimised for toughness and, it was assumed, for fatigue. The objective of the research was to evaluate these assumptions and establish through empirical analysis the relationship between micro-structural morphology, mechanical properties and Fracture and Fatigue behaviour to rationalise the apparent dichotomy that was observed with these HIPS in service applications.