Bonner, Mark James (1995) The creep behaviour of oriented and isotropic polyethylene. PhD thesis, University of Leeds.
Abstract
The long term plastic deformation, (creep), behaviour in tension of both oriented and isotropic polyethylene has been studied using a variety of relatively simple experimental techniques, primarily dead loading creep tests. In an attempt to gain an understanding of the mechanisms controlling creep two different viscoelastic models have been applied to the data. The first of these was a two process model, involving two activated Eyring processes in parallel. The second was a Fotheringham and Cherry type model, with a co-operative jump based on a single activated process. In the oriented state the two process model has been successful in describing the behaviour of the material. The Fotheringham and Cherry type model was not successful in describing the behaviour of this material. A complete expression of the two process model has been shown to fully describe the behaviour of one grade at one draw ratio, and an approximation of the model for the other draw ratios and grades has indicated that creep of oriented polyethylene is controlled by a c-shear mechanism. Because of time constraints it was only possible to analyse the behaviour of one grade of the isotropic material with the Fotheringham and Cherry model. Whilst this was successful the activated parameters obtained from it seem very low and would seem to indicate a chain rotation mechanism. Whilst it appears that the two process model should also describe this data, it has not been possible to produce a conclusive fit. It is considered that this is due to limitations in the computing software used for fitting. Hence an approximation of the model was used to produce approximate activation parameters. In addition to the investigation into the rate controlling mechanism of creep the data obtained for the oriented state has been shown to be consistent with the existence of a unique relationship between three important mechanical properties, (strain, strain rate and stress). This relationship holds provided that the initial morphology of the material is equivalent prior to orientation taking place. It has also been shown that the creep data obtained for the isotropic state are consistent with the existence of double yield points in polyethylene. Finally the creep data have been used in a computer model of craze deformation in order to investigate the rate controlling mechanism of slow crack growth. This has shown that craze failure, and hence crack lifetime is controlled by tensile creep to failure of fibrils at the base of the craze.
Metadata
Supervisors: | Ward, I M and Duckett, R A |
---|---|
Awarding institution: | University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Physics and Astronomy (Leeds) |
Academic unit: | Department of Physics |
Identification Number/EthosID: | uk.bl.ethos.494438 |
Depositing User: | Ethos Import |
Date Deposited: | 13 Jan 2016 10:10 |
Last Modified: | 13 Jan 2016 10:10 |
Download
Final eThesis - complete (pdf)
Filename: 494438.pdf
Description: 494438.pdf
Export
Statistics
You do not need to contact us to get a copy of this thesis. Please use the 'Download' link(s) above to get a copy.
You can contact us about this thesis. If you need to make a general enquiry, please see the Contact us page.