Rubber toughening of plastics

Creep measurements were made on a series of six ABS blends containing 0 to 20 vol% of 80m glass beads. At small strains, the beads raised the modulus of the ABS. However, debonding of the polymer from the glass resulted in a rapid drop in modulus with increasing strain and bead content, and at strains above 1.0% the order of stiffnesses was reversed. Debonding resulted in an increase in creep rate with, as measured by the time to reach 1% volume strain. Plots of In ^–1 against applied stress were linear, in accordance with the Eyring equation, and provided data for comparing stress concentration factors. The relationship between and fitted approximately to the Ishai Cohen effective area model. It is concluded that debonded glass beads accelerate multiple crazing by increasing average stresses in the ABS matrix, and in that respect resemble rubber particles. However, unlike rubber particles, debonded beads drastically reduce notched Charpy impact strength.