Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Molecular and morphological studies to understand slow crack growth (SCG) of polyethylene

  • Original Contribution
  • Published:
Colloid and Polymer Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Slow crack growth (SCG) is a time-dependent brittle-type failure that polyethylene (PE) pipes suffer from when under low stress levels. This study discusses the relation of morphological, molecular weight and molecular weight distribution, rheological, thermal and tensile properties of different PE materials with SCG behavior obtained from the crack round bar (CRB) test, strain hardening (SH) test, and notched pipe (NPT) test. It was observed that increasing the molecular weight and its distribution, short-chain branches, co-monomer content and length, as well as lateral lamellar area increased the SCG resistance and the subsequent time to failure. This was attributed to the enhanced interlamellar entanglement and tie molecules that resisted deformation for a longer time. In addition, SCG resistance was found to decrease with decreasing lamella thickness and degree of crystallinity (within similar molecular weight range). A decrease in the SCG resistance was observed on increasing the onset degradation temperature. Despite the lack of correlation established from tensile tests in the elastic region, SH and CRB values were found to be directly related. As strain hardening modulus increased, time to failure also increased. Zero-shear viscosities also reflected the SCG resistance properties of the samples, as CRB values increased with increasing zero-shear viscosity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Scheme 1
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sagel E (2012) Polyethylene global overview. Pemex, Mexico

    Google Scholar 

  2. Rappaport H (2011) Ethylene and polyethylene global overview. SPI Film and Bag, Orlando

    Google Scholar 

  3. O'Connor C (2012) The nature of polyethylene pipe failure. Pipeline Gas J 239(12):76–77

    Google Scholar 

  4. Schön CG, Peres FM, (2006) Evaluation methods of slow crack resistance in polyethylene, 16th European Conference of Fracture, Alexandroupolis

  5. Cazenave J, Seguela R, Sixou B, Germain Y (2006) Short-term mechanical and structural approaches for the evaluation of polyethylene stress crack resistance. Polymer 47(11):3904–3914

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Krishnaswamy RK, Yang Q, Fernandez-Ballester L, Kornfield JA (2008) Effect of the distribution of short-chain branches on crystallization kinetics and mechanical properties of high-density polyethylene. Macromolecules 41(5):1693–1704

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Pinter G, Haager M, Balika W, Lang RW (2007) Cyclic crack growth tests with CRB specimens for the evaluation of the long-term performance of PE pipe grades. Polym Test 26(2):180–188

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. McCarthy M, Deblieck R, Mindermann P, Kloth R, Kurelec L, Martens H (2008) New accelerated method to determine slow crack growth behaviour of polyethylene pipe materials. Plastics Pipes XIV, Budapest

    Google Scholar 

  9. Redhead A, Pinter G, Frank A (2012) Analysis of molecular and morphological effects on slow crack growth in modern PE pipe grades by cyclic fracture mechanics tests. Macromol Symp 311(1):41–48

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Cheng JJ, Polak MA, Penlidis A (2011) Influence of micromolecular structure on environmental stress cracking resistance of high density polyethylene. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 26(4):582–593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Lustiger A, Markham R (1983) Importance of tie molecules in preventing polyethylene fracture under long-term loading conditions. Polymer 24(12):1647–1654

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Callister WD (2007) Materials science and engineering: an introduction, 7th edn. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kurelec L, Teeuwen M, Schoffeleers H, Deblieck R (2005) Strain hardening modulus as a measure of environmental stress crack resistance of high density polyethylene. Polymer 46(17):6369–6379

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Chudnovsky A et al. (2012) Lifetime assessment of engineering thermoplastics. Int J Eng Sci 59:108–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Channell AD, Clutton EQ (1992) The effects of short chain branching and molecular weight on the impact fracture toughness of polyethylene. Polymer 33(19):4108–4112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hamouda HBH, Simoes-betbeder M, Grillon F, Blouet P, Billon N, Piques R (2001) Creep damage mechanisms in polyethylene gas pipes. Polymer 42(12):5425–5437

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Cheng JJ, Polak MA, Penlidis A (2009) Polymer network mobility and environmental stress cracking resistance of high density polyethylene. Polym-Plast Technol Eng 48(12):1252–1261

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Mandelkern L, Alamo RG (2007) Thermodynamic quantities governing melting. In: Mark JE (ed) Physical properties of polymers handbook, 2nd edn. Springer, New York, pp. 165–186

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  19. Cheng JJ (2008) Mechanical and chemical properties of high density polyethylene: effects of microstructure on creep characteristics. Ph.D. dissertation, Chemical Engineering Department, University of Waterloo, Ontario

  20. Crist B, Mirabella FM (1999) Crystal thickness distribution from melting homopolymers or random copolymers. J Polym Sci B Polym Phys 37:3131–3140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Shah A, Stepanov EV, Klein M, Hiltner A, Baer E (1998) Study of polyethylene pipe resins by a fatigue test that simulates crack propagation in a real pipe. J Mater Sci 33(13):3313–3319

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Suryanarayana C, Norton G (1998) X-ray diffraction: a practical approach. Springer Science & Business Media, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  23. ISO Standard 13479 (2009) Polyolefin pipes for the conveyance of fluids—determination of resistance to crack propagation—test method for slow crack growth on notched pipes

  24. ISO Standard 4427 (2010) Plastics piping systems—polyethylene (PE) pipes and fittings for water supply

  25. ISO Standard 4437 (2014) Plastics piping systems for the supply of gaseous fuels—polyethylene (PE)

  26. van der Stok E, Scholten F (2012) Strain hardening tests on PE pipe materials. Plastic Pipes XVI, Barcelona

    Google Scholar 

  27. ISO Standard 18488 (2015) Polyethylene (PE) materials for piping systems—determination of strain hardening modulus in relation to slow crack growth—test method

  28. ONR 25194 2011 Determination of the resistance to slow crack growth of polyethylene with cracked round bar (CRB) specimens

  29. ISO Standard 18489 (2015) Polyethylene (PE) materials for piping systems—determination of resistance to slow crack growth under cyclic loading—cracked round bar test method

  30. Osswald TA (1998) Polymer processing fundamentals. Hanser, Munich

    Google Scholar 

  31. Piccinini P, Senaldi C, Alberto-Lopes JF (2013) Fibre labelling polytrimethylene terephthalate—PTT—DuPont, Report EUR 25777 EN. Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, Luxembourg

    Google Scholar 

  32. Lu X, Qian R, Brown N (1995) The effect of crystallinity on fracture and yielding of polyethylenes. Polymer 36(22):4239–4244

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. ICDD How to analyze polymers using x-ray diffraction. [Online]. Available: http://www.icdd.com/resources/tutorials/pdf/How%20to%20analyze%20polymers.pdf. Accessed 5 Aug 2014

  34. Pecharsky V, Zavalij P (2009) The powder diffraction pattern. In: fundamentals of powder diffraction and structural characterization of materials, 2nd edn. Springer Science and Business Media, NY

  35. Ehrenstein G (2001) Polymeric materials structure, properties, applications. Hanser, Munich

    Book  Google Scholar 

  36. Jeng U-S (2004) SAXS data reduction for the absolute intensity scale. [Online]. Available: http://www.nsrrc.org.tw/www/eng/endstation/17b3/saxs/SAXS%20data%20reduction%20for%20the%20absolute%20intensity%20scale.pdf. Accessed 9 Aug 2014]

  37. Brown N, Lu X, Huang Y-L, Qian R (1991) Slow crack growth in polyethylene - a review. Makromol Chem Macromol Symp 41(1):55–67

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Beyler CL, Hirschler MM (2002) Thermal decomposition of polymers. In: DiNenno PJ (ed) SFPE handbook of fire protection engineering, 3rd edn. National Fire Protection Association, Quincy

    Google Scholar 

  39. Carreau PJ (1972) Rheological equations from molecular network theories. Trans Soc Rheol (1957–1977) 16(1):99–127

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Yasuda K (1979) Investigation of the analogies between viscometric and linear viscoelastic properties of polystyrene fluids. Ph.D. dissertation, Chemical Engineering Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

  41. Stadler FJ, Piel C, Kaschta J, Rulhoff S, Kaminsky W, Münstedt H (2006) Dependence of the zero shear-rate viscosity and the viscosity function of linear high-density polyethylenes on the mass-average molar mass and polydispersity. Rheol Acta 45(5):755–764

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Men YF, Rieger J, Enderle HF, Lilge D (2004) The mobility of the amorphous phase in polyethylene as a determining factor for slow crack growth. Eur Phys J E: Soft Matter Biol Phys 15(4):421–425

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, The Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    J. Fawaz & V. Mittal

  2. Innovation Centre, Borouge Pte. Ltd., Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    S. Deveci

Authors
  1. J. Fawaz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Deveci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. V. Mittal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. Mittal.

Ethics declarations

Financial support

There was no financial support obtained for the reported work.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Fawaz, J., Deveci, S. & Mittal, V. Molecular and morphological studies to understand slow crack growth (SCG) of polyethylene. Colloid Polym Sci 294, 1269–1280 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-016-3888-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-016-3888-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation