ISSN: 1945-7553
CODEN: JTEVAB
Page Count: 4

Lifetime Predictions of uPVC Pipes from Short Time Tests

Seldén, R
Senior researcher, Swedish Plastics and Rubber Institute, Mölndal,

Gradin, PA
Senior Researcher, Swedish Institute for Materials Technology, Sundsvall,

(Received 9 April 1992; accepted 2 March 1993)

Abstract

Fracture mechanics tests according to British Standard 3505 have been made on two unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) pressure pipes. The applied load was varied and time to failure was measured as a function of load. The results were fitted to an empirical power law, using the concepts of linear elastic fracture mechanics, relating crack growth rate, v, to the stress intensity factor, K1, according to v = A K∞1, where , where A and α are α constants. The parameters A and α were then applied to uPVC pipes provided with assumed Flaws of different sizes and shapes, and lifetime was calculated as a function of internal pressure.

Close agreement with published ductile failure data of uPVC pipes were obtained for elongated, axial flaws on the inside wall, between 0.8 and 1.0 mm in size.

Keywords:
plastic pipes, unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC), flaw size, slow crack growth, lifetime prediction, FE-modeling, ABAQUS, fracture mechanics, J-integral

Paper ID: JTE11784J
DOI: 10.1520/JTE11784J
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