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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 February 2011
Two different sizes (0.4 and 0.1 μm) of rubber particles (polybutadiene) are usually used to toughen the glassy SAN (styrene acrylonitrile) matrix in ABS copolymers. Experiments on a batch of specimens without the large particles confirmedour previous contention that cavitation of large particles within a zone of cardioid shape is an important part of crack tip plasticity which protects the crack tip from the applied stress field. Large rubber particles require a less strong applied stress field than small rubber particles to initiate crazes so that the large rubber particles help avoid brittlefracture which occurs without crazes.