Abstract
The objective of this paper is to provide a better understanding of how thermal relaxations in linear low density polyethylenes are related to the crack initiation energy of rotomoulded parts. Trials were carried out on two Ziegler-Natta catalysed linear low density polyethylenes (LLDPE) and two metallocene catalysed linear low-density polyethylenes (mLLDPE). Instrumented impact tests and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) were carried out on each material at a wide range of temperatures. The frequency of impact at each test temperature was determined, and the DMTA results were shifted to a corresponding frequency. A correlation can be seen between changes in loss modulus and crack initiation energy with temperature. When comparing the crack initiation energy of the samples and the tan δ values, it can be seen that the β transition affects the way in which the polymer behaves under impact. A method for predicting impact performance over a wide temperature range is proposed.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-10 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part L: Journal of Materials: Design and Applications |
Volume | 219 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 1 Feb 2005 |
Keywords
- Crack initiation
- Impact strength
- Polyethylene
- Rotational moulding
- Thermal transitions