Fracture of crazes by the propagation of interfacial stress waves

Fracture of crazes in glassy polymers can occur by a quasi-brittle separation at the interface between the craze and the adjacent bulk. In some grades of polystyrene this type of fracture can take the form of a very regular pattern, the so-called mackerel pattern, of parallel or concentric craze strips as fracture alternates from one side of the craze layer to the other. The alternating pattern of fracture is determined by the coupling between stress waves propagating along the craze—bulk boundaries.