Fracture processes in polymeric materials. VII. The nature of local inelastic processes in glassy polymers

The nature of the response to the local stress in the vicinity of a flaw in a glassy polymer is considered in the light of recent work on the nature and structure of craze marks. It is concluded that the response is similar to that which gives rise to a craze mark and that the structure of the layer at the fracture plane responsible for optical effects is likewise similar to that of a craze mark. This hypothesis resolves some of the inconsistencies in the earlier concept of the layer structure as a domain of oriented molecules.