The application of fracture mechanics to polymers and composites allows the quantitative description of the toughness behaviour by means of fracture mechan- ics parameters and enables preventive failure analysis. In recent years this young scientific discipline has developed rapidly, and now the experimental results are looking for more applications in industrial practice. However, the practical appli- cations of fracture mechanics parameters to structural-integrity assessment are severely restricted owing to their limited transferability from specimens to com- ponents. Indeed,...

Elastomers are found in many applications ranging from technology to daily life applications for example in tires, drive systems, sealings and print rollers. Dynamical operation conditions put extremely high demands on the performance and stability of these materials and their elastic and flow properties can be easily adjusted by simple manipulations on their elastic and viscous properties. However, the required service life suffers often from material damage as a result of wear processes such as abrasion and wear fatigue, mostly caused by crack formation and propagation. This book covers...

Das Anliegen des Konferenzberichts besteht darin, den derzeitigen Erkenntnisstand auf dem Gebiet des Verformungs- und Bruchverhaltens von Polymerwerkstoffen in Form eines "Status Reports" darzustellen. Hierfur wurden ausgewahlte Vortrage des 6. Problemseminars Deformations- und Bruchverhalten von Kunststoffen thematisch zusammengestellt und durch weitere Beitrage aus der eigenen Forschungsarbeit erganzt. Besondere Schwerpunkte bestehen auf den Gebieten: Zahigkeitscharakterisierung mit Hilfe bruchmechanischer Konzepte (Neuere Entwicklungen, Experimentelle Methode,...

This book covers the most recent advances in the deformation and fracture behaviour of polymer material. In a systematic manner, modern aspects of fracture mechanics in the industrial application of polymers for bridging basic research and industrial development are illustrated by multifarious examples of innovative materials usage.

This book surveys interdisciplinary research involving physics, physical chemistry, material sciences to discuss the engineering of elastomers ranging from nanometers to millimeters, and connects these aspects with their constituent material properties.