Determination of dynamic fracture toughness for PMMA

Abstract A dynamic FEM (finite element method) and a strain gage method are applied to analyze the dynamic fracture toughness and SIF (stress intensity factor) for PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate). The analyses are carried out for plates with an edge crack subjected to one-point bending in a plane of the plate. A simple procedure that the present author has proposed is applied to the problem of using a triangular element of assumed constant strain on finite element analysis. The numerical simulation by FEM provides values for the applied forces as measured with the strain gages. Also, a crack initiation time is measured with the strain gage mounted around the crack tip. The dynamic fracture toughness is determined by adapting the crack initiation time to the simulation curve of the dynamic SIF calculated by the FEM. In this study, the usefulness of the method to determine the dynamic fracture toughness is investigated by comparing predictions with the experimental results for dynamic stresses and SIFs.