AbstractEnvironment assisted fracturing, or stress corrosion cracking of adhesive joints in liquid water or a humid atmosphere was shown to occur at values of applied crack extension force ςaconsiderably below those required for onset of opening‐mode rapid fracture ςc. The minimum value of ςabelow which no cracking was observed, ςSSC, was dependent on the relative humidity and the particular adhesive used. For two adhesive systems, the one with the lower hardener content and post cure temperature showed both a lower absolute value of ςSSCand a lower ratio of ςSSCto ςc. The value of ςSSCfor both adhesive systems decreased as the humidity was increased. As the relative humidity approached 100, the value of ςSSCapproached its value for liquid water. Values of ςcfor the two adhesives differed by a ratio of approximately 2:1. When water was introduced to the crack tip, ςcfor the less tough material increased while it was not significantly changed for the toug
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