The effect of ultraviolet irradiation and temperature on the resilience of high density polyethylene

Abstract

Abstract High density polyethylene (HDPE) has recently been established as the material of choice for the distribution and transport of drinking water on economic and public health levels. Because of this, a simulation study was conducted to investigate the effect of aging by two factors on HDPE, in order to check the mechanical robustness of this material with regards to climate change. First, specimens of the material (HDPE80) underwent treatment with irradiation by ultraviolet (UV) radiation for different periods up to 120 h. The accelerated aging process by UV irradiation gave a negative correlation between resilience and the irradiation time in hours. Second, we tested the HDPE80 resilience to different temperatures, at various notch depths (0.4, 0.8, 1, 1.25 and 1.5 mm), to external shocks.