Study on the Fracture Properties of the PMMA Structure for the JUNO Central Detector

• Published in: KSCE journal of civil engineering 2019, 23(6), , pp.2584-2597
• Main Authors: Wang, Zongyi, Wang, Yuanqing, Du, Xinxi, Zhang, Tianxiong, Heng, Yuekun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bending machines; Biomedical materials; Civil Engineering; Construction materials; Cracks; Deformation; Engineering; Fracture mechanics; Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences; Industrial Pollution Prevention; Neutrinos; Plates (structural members); Polymethyl methacrylate; Polymethylmethacrylate; Sensors; Stress intensity factors; Structural Engineering; 토목공학
• ISSN: 1226-7988; 1976-3808
• DOI: 10.1007/s12205-019-5562-1

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is increasingly used in building structures nowadays. PMMA materials utilized in structures have different fracture property compared with those used in aircrafts or biomedical equipment. Single-edge-notch bending (SENB) tests were firstly carried out at various temperatures (−40°C, −20°C, 0°C, 20°C, and 40°C) to determine the K IC values of base PMMA materials and connected areas. The crack-resisting capacity of PMMA plate is subsequently studied. The fracture property of the PMMA joint for the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) central detector is investigated. The results show that base PMMA material has higher K IC values than connected area. The K IC of base PMMA material is lowest at 20°C and highest at −20°C, while that of connected area is lowest at 40°C and highest at −40°C. For the PMMA joint of the JUNO detector, the cracks perpendicular to the X axis are more disadvantageous than those perpendicular to the Z axis. The stress intensity factors (SIFs) at the crack front of the embedded crack decrease with the increase of embedded depth. Due to the presence of two parallel surface or embedded cracks, the SIFs at the crack front decrease.