Effects of rate on crack growth in a rubber-modified epoxy

The rate-dependent fracture behavior of a 10-phr rubber-modified epoxy was investigated using double-cantilever-beam tests at various crosshead speeds. Dramatic rate effects were observed in the R-curve behavior and in the relationship between the applied energy-release rate and the crack velocity. Furthermore, a transition between fracture with toughening mechanisms operating (kinetic crack growth) and brittle behavior (dynamic crack growth) was observed. This transition depended on the crack velocity and applied energy-release rate. Such behavior is expected to depend on how the intrinsic toughness and/or the extrinsic toughening mechanisms are influenced by strain rate. It was shown that the size of the process zone was only weakly dependent on the crack velocity until the onset of dynamic fracture. Furthermore, the extent of void growth was virtually independent of the crack velocity in the kinetic regime. These results appear to rule out the notion that crack-tip shielding is significantly affected by rate effects in this rubber-modified epoxy. Rather, the rate effects may arise from a rate-dependent intrinsic toughness. It was observed that the intrinsic toughness decreased significantly with increasing crack velocity. The crack instability was shown to be associated with an abrupt cessation of the development of the process zone, with both cavitation and void growth being totally suppressed.