Author(s): Nusyirwan Nusyirwan, Abim Pratama and Adam Malik

Abstract: The use of unsaturated polyester as a matrix for making composite materials is very rapidly being used in engineering fields such as automotive components, ship bodies, and aircraft components. One of the weaknesses of this material is that it cracks easily when subjected to impact loads. To improve the crack resistance properties of unsaturated polyester, this was done by adding vinyl ester and MMA diluent and adding MEKP catalyst with the right composition. To evaluate whether the mixed material shows a material that is resistant to cracking, the test refers to the D5405 standard crack test. An important factor that was revealed is that this vinyl ester and polyester blend is a material that is resistant to cracking. For this reason, the results of the fracture of the material after the crack test were observed with an SEM microscope. The test showed the shape of the rough surface fracture on the composition of this 30% polyester and 70% vinyl ester mixture showed a material with a very high level of toughness which was very different from pure polyester that had not been mixed. From the crack test, the stress intensity factor will be obtained as a value that determines the level of crack resistance of a polymer material. From the tests obtained for a mixture of 70% polyester and 30% vinyl ester, the highest stress intensity factor was obtained, namely 2.179 MPa.m0.5 which increased from pure polyester which only 0.762 MPa.m 0.5, an increase of 286 %.

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