Damage zone around crack tip and fracture toughness of rubber-modified epoxy resin under mixed-mode conditions

Damage zones that form around crack tips before the onset of fracture provide significant data for evaluating the fracture behavior of polymeric materials. The size of the damage zone correlates closely with the fracture toughness of the resin. In this study, we investigate the relationship between the fracture toughness and damage zone size around crack tips of a rubber-modified epoxy resin under mixed-mode conditions. The fracture toughness, GC, based on the energy release rate, is measured using an end-notched circle type (ENC) specimen. The deformation of rubber particles in the damage zones is also observed using an optical microscope. The results show that the fracture toughness, GC, of the rubber-modified epoxy resin is closely related to the area of the damage zone. In the specimen with a loading angle of 30°, the rubber particles were deformed ellipsoidally due to the difference between the first and second principal stresses.