The Effect of Notch and Molecular Weight on the Impact Fracture Behavior of Polycarbonate

The impact protection applications of polycarbonate (PC) products are gradually increasing. Due to the high sensitivity of PC to notches, research on notch impacts has become very important. In this paper, the impact performance of PC with two different molecular weights under different notch states was investigated. Three notch size factors, namely notch tip radius, notch angle, and notch center depth, were selected to design orthogonal experiments and research impact toughness. Subsequently, a single-factor study was conducted on the impact radius at the tip of the notch, which was the most important factor affecting the impact performance. Research shows that the brittle-ductile-transition tip radius of high-molecular-weight PC is 0.15 mm, and it has a higher impact toughness than low-molecular-weight PC during the brittle fracture process. The brittle-ductile-transition tip radius of lower molecular weight is 0.25 mm, while low-molecular-weight PC has a higher impact toughness during the ductile fracture process. The brittle and ductile fracture mechanisms of PC with different molecular weights were analyzed by observing the stress changes and cross-sectional morphology.