Oscillating Stress on Viscoelastic Behavior of Thermoplastic Polymers

Polymers are used in many applications where they are subjected to cyclic stresses. PVC and HDPE piping are often used in systems that include rotating machinery that cause mechanical vibration. Recent testing of thermoplastics indicates that there may be a large effect on the viscoelastic strains of thermoplastics from oscillating stresses. Cyclic loading on the permanent set of cross-linked elastomers has been studied. Perhaps, as expected, the effect of the oscillating behavior is measurable. Two types of tests have been conducted. First, tensile tests on HDPE standard specimens were conducted where oscillating stresses were superimposed onto an initial static or mean stress. These measurements showed a rapid decrease in the oscillating stresses when compared to measurements when steady nonoscillating stresses are applied to the same type of specimen. In the second test series, pressurized HDPE piping was subject to oscillating bending stresses. Ratcheting of the hoop strains in the pipe occurs. Results show that these strains follow the constitutive relationships of linear viscoelasticity and experimental results imply that viscoelastic changes are accelerated by stress oscillations. These preliminary results seem to indicate that the effects of oscillating stresses on the viscoelastic behavior of thermoplastics may be significant. A systematic study is required to further understand this behavior. [S0094-9930(00)02403-3]