Design of Experiment to Measure Temperature-Dependent Fracture Properties of Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)

This paper discusses the design of experimental setup and procedures to characterize polymethyl methylate (PMMA) at its glass transition temperature by studying its strain fields, process zone, and crack speed under different loading conditions. These loading conditions are different steady-state temperatures and initial crack lengths. Steady-state temperature testing uses a temperature control loop. Crack speed / resistivity testing is set up using a voltage drop method. From initial steady-state temperature testing, it was confirmed that the behavior of a PMMA sample becomes more ductile at higher temperatures, and that it is plausible for a crack process zone to be measured using DIC as temperature increases. From finite element simulations, it was validated that the crack speed is not constant relative to an initial crack length.