New Insights Into Statistics of the Low‐Temperature Diffusive Self‐Healing in Polymers: A Symmetric Amorphous Polyether‐Polyether Interface

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to investigate the applicability of the classical normal and Weibull distributions to describe the statistics of the adhesion strength ( σ ) development at a symmetric polyether‐polyether interface at self‐healing temperatures ( T ) well below the bulk glass transition temperature ( T g b ), down to T = T g b –92°C. By the example of poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide) (PPO), it is shown that, in general, the σ distributions of the PPO‐PPO interface at contact times ( t ) of 10 min to 24 h do not always follow the normal and Weibull distributions. In an attempt to find more appropriate statistical relationships, it is revealed that the simple relationships P j = a + b σ and P j = c + dln σ , where P j is the cumulative probability of failure, and a, b, c, and d are the constants, are more correct. The link with the classical relationships, normal percentile N % = e + f σ and lnln[1/(1− Р j )] = g + hln σ where e, f, g, and h are the constants, is made. It is found that the introduced reduced statistical parameters of d/h = 0.241 ± 5%, b/f = 0.314 ± 2%, and c/g = 0.398 ± 10% are independent of t/T conditions and have the signs of universality.