Composites retard hydrolytic crack growth

Stress‐Assisted Erosion of Poly(Glycerol‐Co‐Sebacate) Acrylate Elastomer

“…We next aim to develop a quantitative understanding of the relationship between the crack growth rate and the applied energy release rate. Following, [ 4 ] we have: $$$$\begin{equation}\log V\ = \ \log {V}_0 - G\left( {\frac{{{A}^*}}{{{K}_BT}}} \right)\end{equation}$$$$where V is the crack velocity, V 0 is the crack velocity when the energy release is zero, A * is the activation area, K B is Boltzmann's constant (1.38 × 10 −23 J K −1 ), and T is the absolute temperature (300 K). In the case of high cross‐link density PGSA and using linear fitting (dashed line in Figure 9a), we find that the slope is equal to 0.181 m 2 J −1 while the y ‐intercept is equal to −6.692.…”

“…We next aim to develop a quantitative understanding of the relationship between the crack growth rate and the applied energy release rate. Following, [4] we have:…”

“…In fact, recent studies have shown that the speed of the hydrolytic crack depends on relative humidity, pH, and applied load. [ 4,5,19 ]…”

“…[2] Due to these facts, and in recent decades, the scientific community has rushed to the development of degradable polymers, which can undergo degradation in response to a trigger such as humidity, elevated temperatures, and light. [3,4] Since their development, degradable polymers have been used in surgery, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and the development of environmentally sustainable products. [5,[6][7][8][9] With the accelerated ongoing research efforts, degradable polymers are expected to rapidly replace nondegradable ones.…”

“…[5,[15][16][17][18] In the case of degradable polymers such as poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS), water from the environment reacts with the ester bond on the polymer backbone resulting in the formation of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. [4] These reactions break the chain and degrade the polymer. As the polymer degrades, its mechanical properties or size may change and so will its performance within a specific application, especially in the presence of an external load.…”