TY - CONF A1 - Schilling, Markus A1 - Niebergall, Ute A1 - Böhning, Martin T1 - Addressing ESC using FNCT enhanced by optical fracture surface analysis N2 - During their lifetime, polymer components subjected to mechanical loads and environmental influences show a loss of their mechanical properties required for their specific applications. In this respect, the craze-crack damage mechanism slow crack growth (SCG) is relevant for PE-HD components used in high-performance applications such as pipes and containers for the storage and transport of dangerous goods. SCG is considered to be the major failure mechanism in polyolefins and it typically occurs suddenly and unexpectedly. Due to the fields of application, SCG is a safety relevant issue. To test for the resistance of PE-HD pipe and container materials against SCG, the full-notch creep test (FNCT) is widely applied in Europe. In this study, SCG phenomena in PE-HD are investigated in detail based on an improved FNCT, especially including the consideration of the influence of environmental liquids effecting the damage mechanism. Using an enhanced fracture surface and a crack propagation analysis with imaging techniques such as light microscopy (LM), laser scanning microscopy (LSM), X-ray computed tomography (CT-scan) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), detailed data concerning SCG are obtained. The combined application of FNCT and such imaging techniques is explicitly advantageous and recommended to gain important information on damage occurring to PE-HD induced by mechanical stress and the influence of environmental liquids, which is essential within the Fourth Industry Revolution. T2 - PPS Europe-Africa 2019 Regional Conference (PPS 2019) CY - Pretoria, South Africa DA - 18.11.2019 KW - Polyethylene, PE-HD KW - Full-Notch Creep Test (FNCT) KW - Fracture surface analysis KW - Slow crack growth KW - Environmental stress cracking KW - Laser Scanning Microscopy (LSM) KW - Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-50939 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schilling, Markus A1 - Marschall, Niklas A1 - Niebergall, Ute A1 - Böhning, Martin T1 - An optical criterion for the assessment of Full-Notch Creep Test (FNCT) fracture surfaces N2 - The full-notch creep test (FNCT) is a common method to evaluate the environmental stress cracking (ESC) behavior of high-density polyethylene (PE-HD) container materials . The test procedure as specified in ISO 16770 provides a comparative measure of the resistance against ESC using the time to failure of specimens mechanically loaded in a well-defined liquid environment. Since the craze-crack damage mechanism underlying the ESC process is associated with brittle failure, the occurrence of globally brittle fracture surfaces is a prerequisite to consider an FNCT measurement as representative for ESC . Therefore, an optical evaluation of FNCT fracture surfaces concerning their brittleness is essential. Due to the experimental setup, an inevitable increase of the true mechanical stress and the associated appearance of small ductile parts on fracture surfaces is induced in any case. Hence, an FNCT experiment is considered as 'valid', if the corresponding fracture surface is predominantly brittle . Based on laser scanning microscopy (LSM) height data of FNCT fracture surfaces , a universal and easy-to-use phenomenological criterion was developed to assess the validity of distinct FNCT experiments. This criterion is supposed to facilitate a quick evaluation of FNCT results in practical routine testing. T2 - PPS Europe-Africa 2019 Regional Conference (PPS 2019) CY - Pretoria, South Africa DA - 18.11.2019 KW - Full-Notch Creep Test (FNCT) KW - Polyethylene, PE-HD KW - Fracture surface analysis KW - Environmental stress cracking (ESC) KW - Optical criterion KW - Brittle fracture PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-50940 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Thuy, Maximilian A1 - Niebergall, Ute A1 - Oehler, H. A1 - Alig, I. A1 - Böhning, Martin T1 - Damaging effect of admixtures used in crop protection products on high density polyethylene packaging material N2 - The phenomenon of environmental stress cracking is still a major issue in materials engineering as well as from a scientific perspective. Especially in the case of packaging materials made of high-density polyethylene, assessing the potential of premature damage due to environmental stress cracking is complex because of the large number of components in possible liquid filling goods. As a first guideline, the well-known effect of detergents and dispersants is usually considered, but the interplay with other components, such as organic solvents is often unknown. Particularly challenging in this respect are crop protection products, consisting of several different admixtures in addition to the biologically active ingredients. This study is based on two model liquids representing these admixtures that were established for testing in this context. The model liquids as well as their constituting components were used as liquid media in the Full Notch Creep Test to characterize the environmental stress cracking behavior of a typical high-density polyethylene. Complementary to the time-to failure of a notched specimen obtained from these tests, the crack opening was monitored optically, and the fracture surface was analyzed post-failure by laser scanning microscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy. Based on the results, the effect of various surfactants as well as the influence of organic solvents on environmental stress cracking are discussed. KW - Environmental stress cracking KW - High-density polyethylene KW - Crop protection products KW - Full notch creep test KW - Fracture surface analysis KW - Crack opening displacement PY - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-554631 SN - 0142-9418 VL - 114 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Elsevier Ltd. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-55463 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -