Size effects and ductile-brittle transition of polypropylene

The influence of specimen width on fracture parameters has been investigated. The range examined was sufficiently large to obtain ductile and brittle fractures. With reference to previously published work, the phenomenology has been analysed by combining BCS model and Carpinteri's brittleness number approach.Nomenclature a crack length - f(a/W) shape function according to ASTM specification 16] - F(a/W) shape function according to Tada Paris notation 21] - E elastic modulus - K _IC plane strain fracture toughness - K _IC ^f fictitious plane strain fracture toughness - K _IC2 plane stress fracture toughness - J _IC ^f J-integral at maximum load - L span - weight average molecular weight - number average molecular weight - polydispersity - P _M maximum load - P _F load of brittle fracture - p _P load of plastic collapse - s brittleness number - V machine cross speed - W specimen width - _y yield stress - strain rate