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Lifetime Assessment of Load‐Bearing Polymer Glasses: The Influence of Physical Ageing
Author(s) -
Visser Hendrikus A.,
Bor Ton C.,
Wolters Mannes,
Wismans Joris G. F.,
Govaert Leon E.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
macromolecular materials and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.913
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1439-2054
pISSN - 1438-7492
DOI - 10.1002/mame.201000174
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , failure mode and effects analysis , deformation (meteorology) , bearing (navigation) , polymer , stress (linguistics) , ageing , structural engineering , computer science , linguistics , philosophy , artificial intelligence , biology , engineering , genetics
The timescale at which ductile failure occurs in loaded glassy polymers can be successfully predicted using the engineering approach presented in a previous publication. In this paper the influence of progressive physical ageing on the plastic deformation behaviour of unplasticised poly(vinyl chloride) (uPVC) is characterised and incorporated in the existing approach. With the modification it is possible to quantitatively predict long‐term failures which show a so‐called endurance limit. The predictions are compared with failure data of uPVC specimens which were subjected to constant or dynamic loads. In dynamic loading conditions a second type of failure mode was observed: fatigue crack growth. A brief study on the influence of the frequency and stress ratio of the applied stress signal shows that crack growth failure is not expected to occur within experimentally reasonable timescales for constant loading conditions.