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Plane strain fracture toughness of polyethylene pipe materials
Author(s) -
Mandell J. F.,
Roberts D. R.,
McGarry F. J.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760230707
Subject(s) - materials science , fracture toughness , composite material , crystallinity , toughness , plane stress , polyethylene , fracture (geology) , morphology (biology) , structural engineering , finite element method , biology , engineering , genetics
The plane strain fracture toughness of medium density polyethylene pipe materials has been investigated over a range of test temperatures and rates. Conditions are defined under which valid fracture toughness values can be obtained; at higher temperatures the material is notch‐insensitive. Fracture surface morphology is described, and features are compared with predictions from the Dugdale model. The toughness derives from a band of fibrillar, drawn morphology associated with crack initiation or slow growth. The plane strain fracture toughness correlates with percent crystallinity according to the same relationship whether the crystallinity is varied by thermal treatment, comonomer content, or molecular weight.