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Estimation of Slow Crack Growth Behavior in Polyethylene after Stepwise Isothermal Crystallization |
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| Authors: | Markus Haager Gerald Pinter Reinhold W. Lang |
| Affiliation: | 1. Polymer Competence Center Leoben, Parkstraße 11, 8700 Leoben, Austria;2. Department of Materials Science and Testing of Plastics, University of Leoben, Austria;3. Polymer Competence Center Leoben, Parkstraße 11, 8700 Leoben, Austria Department of Materials Science and Testing of Plastics, University of Leoben, Austria |
| Abstract: | The use of analytical methods to estimate the SCG resistance of PE pipe materials has been suggested due to the fact that the slow crack growth (SCG) behavior of polyethylene (PE) is governed by structural parameters such as molecular weight and side chains. In the research project presented here, the molecular structure of several commercially available polyethylene-high density (PE-HD) materials was analyzed using a modified stepwise isothermal segregation (SIS) technique and compared with results from fracture mechanics experiments. A good correlation between the SIS results and SCG rates was found. It turned out that the modified SIS technique is a fast and simple method and could be used to assess SCG resistance in PE. |
| Keywords: | crack growth differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) polyethylene (PE) side chains stepwise isothermal segregation technique |