A ductile-brittle zone in polyimides depending on the reaction temperature

Abstract

The mechanical and optical properties of polyimides were studied in this paper and the influence of the variation of the reaction temperature on the physico-chemical properties of the polymers was evaluated. From this the dependence of the stress-strain diagrams on the reaction temperature, as well as the stresses and strains at fracture were experimentally determined. Moreover, the elastic moduli and Poisson's ratios, as well as the refractive index of the polymers were evaluated for different temperatures of imidization. In order to define also the behaviour of the polymers as thin membranes at fracture, simple tension tests with edge-cracked thin strips were executed up to fracture. The method of caustics was used, with the specimens loaded inK _I mode of deformation at different stress-levels to evaluate the stress intensity factors of the materials in the non-linear zone of loading. TheK _I -factor was evaluated by applying the simple Dugdale-Barenblatt model for the ductile materials, whereas for brittle samples the elastic theory was used. Interesting results concerning the physico-mechanical properties of the polyimides were derived.