Thermoplastics strength properties testing

The strength properties more often specified for plastics materials are (1) tensile strength and elongation, (2) flexural strength, (3) Izod and Gardner impact, and (4) heat deflection temperature under load. Our purpose here is not to describe each test in detail but to point out some of the known effects that colorants and other formulation ingredients can have on these properties. Table 22.1 lists the ISO and ASTM test methods for most of the physical properties, and ref. 1 (pp. 7-112) describes each of the methods in detail. Table 22.2 lists typical values of the above cite four properties for selected thermoplastics. 

The influence of time-temperature effects on the tensile strength and tensile-tensile fatigue behavior of short-fiber reinforced polyamides (PA 6 and PA 66) has been reported before [7], and it was found that at room temperature (23°C), the tensile strength of these two thermoplastics are virtually the same. This result has made it possible to simplify our analysis by focusing the compatibility study of tensile properties on one of the two PA plastics mentioned above. The focused tensile property analysis of PA 6 based thermoplastics was presented before [10], The current paper has extended the scope of that study to include other important information from the tensile property testing and analysis. 

An example of this improvement in toughness can be demonstrated by the addition of Vamac B-124, an ethylene/methyl acrylate copolymer from DuPont, to ethyl cyanoacrylate [24-26]. Three model instant adhesive formulations, a control without any polymeric additive (A), a formulation with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) (B), and a formulation with Vamac B-124 (C), are shown in Table 4. The formulation with PMMA, a thermoplastic which is added to modify viscosity, was included to determine if the addition of any polymer, not only rubbers, could improve the toughness properties of an alkyl cyanoacrylate instant adhesive. To demonstrate an improvement in toughness, the three formulations were tested for impact strength, 180° peel strength, and lapshear adhesive strength on steel specimens, before and after thermal exposure at 121°C. 

Strength and Stiffness. Thermoplastic materials are viscoelastic which means that their mechanical properties reflect the characteristics of both viscous liquids and elastic solids. Thus when a thermoplastic is stressed it responds by exhibiting viscous flow (which dissipates energy) and by elastic displacement (which stores energy). The properties of viscoelastic materials are time, temperature and strain rate dependent. Nevertheless the conventional stress-strain test is frequently used to describe the (short-term) mechanical properties of plastics. It must be remembered, however, that as described in detail in Chapter 2 the information obtained from such tests may only be used for an initial sorting of materials. It is not suitable, or intended, to provide design data which must usually be obtained from long term tests. 

As can be seen from the results, the composite formed from monomer/-polymer 114a with Celion G30-500 8HS fabric exhibited excellent mechanical properties [28], To a first approximation it would appear that the inherent fracture toughness of the matrix resin has been carried over to the composite panels. The CAI (compressive strength after impact) and OHC (open hole compression) tests are a direct measurements of the toughness of the composite part, the value of 332 MPa for the CAI compares very favorably to the value of 300 MPa typical for the thermoplastic composites. The OHC values under hot-wet test conditions would seem to indicate that the composite has very good retention of its mechanical properties at both 177°C and 203 °C. 

The following Figures 4.11 up to 4.25 show the elastic properties and tensile strength in dependence on glass fiber content and test temperature for constructional used thermoplastic materials. 

D 395 Test Method for Rubber Property - Compression Set D 412 Test Method for Vulcanized Rubber, Thermoplastic Rubbers and Thermoplastic Elastomer - Tension D 471 Test Method for Rubber Property - Effect of Liquids D 570 Test Method for Water Absorption of Plastics D 624 Test Method for Tear Strength of Conventional Vulcanized Rubber and Thermoplastic Elastomer D 638 Test method for Tensile Properties of Plastics D 792 Test Method for Specific Gravity (Relative Density) and Density of Plastics by Displacement... 

---