Analysis of Interface Crack in Polymer Liner Subjected to Hygrothermal Stress

Abstract:

Polymeric materials such as epoxy are widely used as coating layers for the containment building of the nuclear power plant. These layers may be damaged through a hygrothermal process and residual stresses can reach significant levels near the free edges, possibly leading to interface debonding or delamination. Interfacial stress singularities induced in a laminate model consisting of the epoxy coating layer and the concrete substrate is investigated using the time-domain boundary element method. The epoxy layer is assumed to be a linear viscoelastic material and moisture effects are assumed to be analogous to thermal effects. The overall stress intensity factor for the case of a small interfacial edge crack of length a has been computed.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volumes 324-325)
• Pages: 1249-1252
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.324-325.1249
• Online since: November 2006
• Authors: Sang Soon Lee
• Keywords: Epoxy Coating, Hygrothermal, Interface Crack, Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), Polymer Liner, Viscoelasticity

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