A Tensile Strain Hardening Test Indicator of Environmental Stress Cracking Resistance

Environmental stress cracking resistance (ESCR) is an important indicator of performance for high density polyethylene (HDPE) in structural and polymer pipe applications. The commonly used test for determining ESCR of HDPE can be time consuming and rather imprecise. A tensile strain hardening test was recently proposed to offer a faster way to characterize ESCR of polyethylene. In this paper, a practical approach is adopted whereby the test is extended to room temperature and shown to relate reliably to the ESCR of HDPE. Several HDPE resins (including pipe‐grade resins) are analyzed at strain rates of 0.5 mm/min and 7 mm/min to compare the effect of strain rate. Comparisons between the conventional ESCR test method and the strain hardening test show that strain hardening can be used to rank ESCR of HDPE in a reliable fashion. In our study the more direct measure of “hardening stiffness” is used to compare resins instead of strain hardening modulus. Because no true stress‐strain measurement is needed, this is a much simpler test method than other methods previously suggested. In addition, the use of the natural drawing ratio (NDR) as ESCR ranking indicator is examined. Results show that NDR can also be employed as a strain rate‐independent indicator of ESCR of HDPE. The test proposed herein is practical, simple and precise, and hence a more reliable indicator of ESCR performance of HDPE.     

Effect of Temperature on Environmental Stress Cracking Resistance and Crystal Structure of Polyethylene

Studies were conducted on the crystalline properties of different polyethylene resins to identify their influence on phase interconnectivity between amorphous and crystalline regions. This work offers a thorough investigation on the potential correlation between environmental stress cracking resistance (ESCR) and crystalline structure characteristics, namely, crystallinity, mean lamella thickness and its distribution, and lamella surface area (LSA). The initial objective of this work was to investigate an existing ambiguity in the literature with respect to the effect of the crystalline phase on ESCR. In addition, research was conducted to evaluate the degree of variability in the lamella surface area, as a measure of phase interconnectivity and ESCR, with processing temperature and post-process annealing. Annealing at various conditions, along with cooling at different rates, were employed to investigate the effect of temperature on LSA. It was observed that a clear correlation exists between crystalline phase properties and ESCR, given that the comparison is made between polymers with similar molecular weights. Annealing temperature and time were found to cause a general reduction in LSA, however, to varying degrees, according to the type of PE molecular structure (significant interactions exist between annealing conditions and polymer type). LSA showed a significant dependence on cooling rate, however, no interaction was found between cooling rate and type of PE molecular structure. Additionally, lamella surface areas obtained from quenching and air cooling were found to be almost the same.     

高密度聚乙烯的熔融支化及其对性能的影响木

在引发剂过氧化二异丙苯、二官能度单体新戊二醇二丙烯酸酯和自由基活性调控剂二甲基二硫代氨基甲酸锌的存在下,使高密度聚乙烯进行熔融支化反应.研究表明,转矩曲线上的反应峰顶对应最佳反应时间,由此获得了凝胶量低的长链支化高密度聚乙烯.熔融支化反应使聚乙烯的分子量分布变宽,其支化程度随单体含量的增加而增大,呈现出更加明显的剪切变稀行为;长链支化结构的引入使改性聚乙烯的结晶度降低,长支链的成核作用使起始结晶温度增加,球晶尺寸明显减小.改性聚乙烯的支化程度和大分子拓扑结构的变化对耐环境应力开裂性能的影响显著,当单体含量超过0.6 phr时,长链支化分子形态从类似不对称星形转变为梳形,使得高密度聚乙烯的耐环境应力开裂时间产生突变,达1000 h以上,同时强度、模量和冲击韧性均得到明显提高.     

Strain hardening of high density polyethylene

The introduction of true stress strain measurements, at constant strain rate, has promoted the development of empirical or semiempirical models for large deformations in thermoplastics. One such theory, which proposes that the post yield deformation process can be represented by equations derived from the theories of rubber elasticity, has been successfully applied to several glassy polymers. Unexpectedly, it can also model the post yield deformation of many different grades of polyethylene, even when rubber theory is employed in the simplest Gaussian form. Strain hardening is then represented by the single strain hardening coefficient Gp. Examples are given of this equation, which can be modified to give the true engineering or nominal stress σ_n and then be differentiated to give dσ_n/dλ = Gp ? Y₀ / λ² + 2Gp / λ³, where Y₀ is the yield stress and λ the extension ratio. Negative values of this differential then predict the onset of necking in tension and positive values stabilization of the neck. The relation of Gp to molecular weight is then discussed using literature measurements for polyethylenes of differing molecular weight and similar molecular weight distributions. When these results are then plotted, a strong dependency of Gp on molecular weight is observed. Some implications of these measurements are then considered. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1090–1099, 2007     

Environmental stress cracking resistance of polyethylene: The use of CRYSTAF and SEC to establish structure–property relationships

Nineteen commercial high‐density polyethylene resins made with different polymerization processes and catalyst types were analyzed by high‐temperature size exclusion chromatography and crystallization analysis fractionation. The information obtained with these characterization techniques on the polymer chain structure was correlated to environmental stress cracking resistance. Environmental stress cracking resistance increases when the molecular weight and concentration of polymer chains that crystallize in trichlorobenzene between 75 and 85 °C increase. Polymer chains present in this crystallization range are assumed to act as tie molecules between crystal lamellae. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1267–1275, 2000     

Genetic Diversity Caused by Environmental Stress in Natural Populations of Niupidujuan as Revealed by RAPD Technique

Multiplex environmental factors are generally expected to have significant effects on genetic diversity of plant populations.In this study,randomly amplified polymorphic DNA(RAPD) technique was used to reveal the genetic diversity in the same species of four populations collected from Niupidujuan(Rhododendron chrysanthum) at different altitudes,an endangered species,endemic to Northeast China.Initially,twenty informative and reproducible primers were chosen for final RAPD analysis.A total of 152 clear bands...