Combined effect of artificial aging and fatigue on the
mechanical, structural, and morphological properties of polystyrene
Karollyne Gomes de Castro Monsores 1, Anderson
Oliveira da Silva 1, Suzane de Sant’ Ana
Oliveira1, Ricardo Pondé Weber1,
Paulo Feliciano Filho2, Larissa Gomes
Simão3, Eduardo Atem de Carvalho3,*,
Sergio Neves Monteiro1.
1Military Institute of Engineering – IME
Department of Materials Science, Praça General Tibúrcio 80, URCA,
22290-270, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
2Federal Institute of Education, Science and
Technology of Rio de Janeiro – IFRJ
Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
3Northern Fluminense State University – UENF
Advanced Materials Lab, Av. Alberto Lamego, Horto, 28013-602 – Campos
dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
* eatem@uenf.br
*Corresponding author
Abstract: The mechanical, structural, and morphological
properties of polystyrene (PS) under fatigue combined with accelerated
aging were investigated. The results revealed that under the condition
of fatigue (tension–tension) combined with UV-B exposure, in the
periods of 336 and 575 h, the mechanical resistance presented is lower
when compared to PS subjected to only fatigue. The modifications
produced by the irradiation were evaluated by physical-chemical tests,
which resulted in changes in the properties of the degraded materials,
such as reduced molecular mass due to chain cleavage and increased
crystallinity. The predominant failure mechanism in mechanically
fractured specimens was also influenced by irradiation, so that the
hardening of the surface layer was characterized by Vickers
microhardness.
Keywords: Fatigue Life, Thermo Mechanical Fatigue, Polymer,
Thermal Aging Degradation.