Organic Chemical-Related Failure of Plastics

The susceptibility of plastics to environmental failure, when exposed to organic chemicals, can limit their use in many applications. A combination of chemical and physical factors, along with stress, usually leads to a serious deterioration in properties, even if stress or the chemical environment alone may not appreciably weaken a material. This phenomenon is referred to as environmental stress cracking (ESC). The ESC failure mechanism for a particular plastics-chemical environment combination can be quite complex and, in many cases, is not yet fully understood. This article focuses on two environmental factors that contribute to failure of plastics, namely chemical and physical effects.