Abstract
To examine the acoustic emission in glassy polymers, the tensile tests were carried out on SEN specimens of PMMA in various alcohols. The acoustic emission behavior and the growth manner of crazes in polymer were observed.
The results obtained are summarized as follows.
(1) With alcohols acting as mild environmental agents, the crazes grew smoothly and AE was not detected.
(2) With alcohols acting as more severe environmental agents, the crazes grew stepwise and AE was detected.
(3) The fracture surfaces ruptured in alcohols acting as more severe environmental agents have a characteristic shell pattern.
(4) The stepwise craze growth, the formation of shell pattern, and AE behavior seem to be correlated with each other.
