Effect of initial crack length, cross-head speed, and quenching on the fracture toughness of HDPE with and without UV stabilizers

Abstract

Abstract Fracture toughness is the ability of the material to resist crack growth. The effect of cross-head speed, initial crack length, and quenching on the fracture toughness of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is investigated in this research, the results show that the fracture toughness of both stabilized and non-stabilized samples is influenced by the cross-head speed and crack length. The effect of overheating followed by rapid cooling (quenching) is investigated for three different cooling temperatures. It is apparent that the quenching process highly affects the ductility of the polymer, where the material became very brittle.