Environmental stress cracking is the process of applying constant stress concentrations (in the form of liquid or vapour) to plastic and determining the time it takes to fail. It is an important property of polymers to understand when developing a product as it is a common cause of brittle failures.

In order to accelerate the cracking process, the plastic undergoes elevated temperatures while in a test fluid, surrounded by a detergent solution. The stress level applied to the specimen depends upon the stress crack resistance of the material and the test temperature, thus providing an indication of the quality and safety of the plastic.

Our Experience in Environmental Stress Cracking

Currently, there are a variety of tests that have been developed to determine the environmental stress crack resistance of plastics, two of the most common ones being the Bell Telephone Test and the Full Notch Creep Test which Impact Solutions is UKAS accredited to carry out.

Our experts can provide test programs to evaluate thermoplastics against anticipated ESC agents, and conduct initial performance assessments. Impact Solutions can also offer failure analysis or options to address your challenges.