Analysis of low temperature impact fracture data of some thermoplastic polymers

V. PETTARIN; GUILLERMO ELIÇABE; PATRICIA FRONTINI; K LESKOVICS; G. LENKEY; TIBOR CZIGANY

ENGINEERING FRACTURE MECHANICS

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2006 vol. 73 p. 738 - 749

0013-7944

Impact fracture toughness of polypropylene (PP) blends, high density polyethylene (HDPE) and rubber toughened polymethylmethacrylate (RTPMMA) has been studied by means of three-point bending falling weight impact testing at different temperatures ranging from ?60ºC to room temperature using the cleavage fracture toughness, JC parameter [ASTM E1820-99a]. The latter Fracture Mechanics methodology was chosen due to its simplicity [Fasce et al., 2003]. Traces of the impact tests were analyzed using an inverse methodology just proposed by Pettarin et al. (2003). This methodology makes it possible to obtain from a three-point bending instrumented impact test the mechanical response of the material, discarding the dynamic effects associated with the test. The results show that the average JC values calculated with treated and untreated data are similar for a given material, while the standard deviations are larger when the calculations are made with the untreated data. It is clear that the inverse methodology used to correct the data reduces error propagation, giving place to more precise estimations, and therefore more reliable JC values.