Environmental Stress Cracking of Plastics

This report aims to explain both the causes of environmental stress cracking (ESC) and its implications. ESC is the premature initiation of cracking and embrittlement of a plastic due to the simultaneous action of stress and strain and contact with specific fluids. This definition provides the key to the problem of predictability. Failure is due to a combination of influences, which would not cause the same problems if encountered individually.