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Eingeladener Vortrag
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Relation of craze to crack length during slow crack growth phenomena in high‐density polyethylene
(2024)
The craze‐crack mechanism occurring in high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) causing slow crack growth and environmental stress cracking is investigated in detail with respect to the relation of crack length and the related craze zone. This is essential for the understanding of the resulting features of the formed fracture surface and their interpretation in the context of the transition from crack propagation to ductile shear deformation. It turns out that an already formed craze zone does not inevitably result in formation of a propagating crack, but could also undergo ductile failure. For the examination, the full notch creep test (FNCT) was employed with a subsequent advanced fracture surface analysis that was performed using various imaging techniques: light microscopy, laser scanning microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray micro computed tomography scan. FNCT specimens were progressively damaged for increasing durations under standard test conditions applying Arkopal, the standard surfactant solution, and biodiesel as test media were used to analyze the stepwise growth of cracks and crazes. From considerations based on well‐established fracture mechanics approaches, a theoretical correlation between the length of the actual crack and the length of the preceding craze zone was established that could be evidenced and affirmed by FNCT fracture surface analysis. Moreover, the yield strength of a HDPE material exposed to a certain medium as detected by a classic tensile test was found to be the crucial value of true stress to induce the transition from crack propagation due to the craze‐crack mechanism to shear deformation during FNCT measurements.
Highlights
- Progress of crack formation in high‐density polyethylene is analyzed by different imaging techniques
- Determined growth rates depend on distinction between craze zone and crack
- The ratio of the present crack to the anteceding craze zone is validated theoretically
- The transition from crack propagation to ductile shear deformation is identified
- An already formed craze zone may still fail by ductile mechanisms
Following the new paradigm of materials development, design, and optimization, digitalization is the main goal in materials sciences and engineering (MSE) which imposes a huge challenge. In this respect, the quality assurance of processes and output data as well as the interoperability between applications following FAIR principles are to be ensured. For storage, processing, and querying of data in contextualized form, Semantic Web technologies (SWT) are used since they allow for machine-actionable and human-readable knowledge representations needed for data management, retrieval, and (re)use.
The project ‘platform MaterialDigital’ (PMD) aims to bring together and support interested parties from both industrial and academic sectors in a sustainable manner in solving digitalization tasks and implementing digital solutions. Therefore, the establishment of a virtual material data space and the systematization of the handling of hierarchical, process-dependent material data are focused. Core points to be dealt with are the development of agreements on data structures and interfaces implemented in distinct software tools and to offer users specific support in their projects. Furthermore, the platform contributes to a standardized description of data processing methods in materials research. In this respect, selected MSE methods are semantically represented on a prototypical basis which are supposed to serve as best practice examples with respect to knowledge representation and the creation of knowledge graphs used for material data.
Accordingly, this poster presentation illustrates demonstrators developed and deployed within the PMD project. Semantically anchored using the mid-level PMD Core Ontology (PMDco), they address data transformation leading to a novel data management which is based on semantic integrated data. The PMD data acquisition pipeline (DAP), which is fueled by traditional, diverse data formats, and a pipeline applying an electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) as data source are displayed. Additionally, the efficient combination of diverse datasets originating from different sources is demonstrated by the representation of a use case dealing with the well-known Orowan relation.
AbstractThis study applies Semantic Web technologies to advance Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) through the integration of diverse datasets. Focusing on a 2000 series age-hardenable aluminum alloy, we correlate mechanical and microstructural properties derived from tensile tests and dark-field transmission electron microscopy across varied aging times. An expandable knowledge graph, constructed using the Tensile Test and Precipitate Geometry Ontologies aligned with the PMD Core Ontology, facilitates this integration. This approach adheres to FAIR principles and enables sophisticated analysis via SPARQL queries, revealing correlations consistent with the Orowan mechanism. The study highlights the potential of semantic data integration in MSE, offering a new approach for data-centric research and enhanced analytical capabilities.
The digitalization of materials science and engineering (MSE) is currently leading to remarkable advancements in materials research, design, and optimization, fueled by computer‐driven simulations, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. While these developments promise to accelerate materials innovation, challenges in quality assurance, data interoperability, and data management have to be addressed. In response, the adoption of semantic web technologies has emerged as a powerful solution in MSE. Ontologies provide structured and machine‐actionable knowledge representations that enable data integration, harmonization, and improved research collaboration. This study focuses on the tensile test ontology (TTO), which semantically represents the mechanical tensile test method and is developed within the project Plattform MaterialDigital (PMD) in connection with the PMD Core Ontology. Based on ISO 6892‐1, the test standard‐compliant TTO offers a structured vocabulary for tensile test data, ensuring data interoperability, transparency, and reproducibility. By categorizing measurement data and metadata, it facilitates comprehensive data analysis, interpretation, and systematic search in databases. The path from developing an ontology in accordance with an associated test standard, converting selected tensile test data into the interoperable resource description framework format, up to connecting the ontology and data is presented. Such a semantic connection using a data mapping procedure leads to an enhanced ability of querying. The TTO provides a valuable resource for materials researchers and engineers, promoting data and metadata standardization and sharing. Its usage ensures the generation of finable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable data while maintaining both human and machine actionability.
Following the new paradigm of materials development, design, and optimization, digitalization is the main goal in materials sciences and engineering (MSE) which imposes a huge challenge. In this respect, the quality assurance of processes and output data as well as the interoperability between applications following FAIR principles are to be ensured. For storage, processing, and querying of data in contextualized form, Semantic Web technologies (SWT) are used since they allow for machine-actionable and human-readable knowledge representations needed for data management, retrieval, and (re)use.
The project ‘platform MaterialDigital’ (PMD, https://materialdigital.de) aims to bring together and support interested parties from both industrial and academic sectors in a sustainable manner in solving digitalization tasks and implementing digital solutions. Therefore, the establishment of a virtual material data space and the systematization of the handling of hierarchical, process-dependent material data are focused. Core points to be dealt with are the development of agreements on data structures and interfaces implemented in distinct software tools and to offer users specific support in their projects. Furthermore, the platform contributes to a standardized description of data processing methods in materials research. In this respect, selected MSE methods are semantically represented which are supposed to serve as best practice examples with respect to knowledge representation and the creation of knowledge graphs used for material data.
Accordingly, this presentation shows the efforts taken within the PMD project towards the digitalization in MSE such as the development of the mid-level PMD core ontology (PMDco, https://github.com/materialdigital/core-ontology). Furthermore, selected results of a PMD partner project use case addressing data and knowledge management from synthesis, production, and characterization of materials are shown.
PMD Core Ontology (PMDco)
(2023)
The PMD Core Ontology (PMDco) is a comprehensive framework for representing knowledge that encompasses fundamental concepts from the domains of materials science and engineering (MSE). The PMDco has been designed as a mid-level ontology to establish a connection between specific MSE application ontologies and the domain neutral concepts found in established top-level ontologies. The primary goal of the PMDco is to promote interoperability between diverse domains. PMDco's class structure is both understandable and extensible, making it an efficient tool for organizing MSE knowledge. It serves as a semantic intermediate layer that unifies MSE knowledge representations, enabling data and metadata to be systematically integrated on key terms within the MSE domain. With PMDco, it is possible to seamlessly trace data generation. The design of PMDco is based on the W3C Provenance Ontology (PROV-O), which provides a standard framework for capturing the generation, derivation, and attribution of resources. By building on this foundation, PMDco facilitates the integration of data from various sources and the creation of complex workflows. In summary, PMDco is a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners in the MSE domains. It provides a common language for representing and sharing knowledge, allowing for efficient collaboration and promoting interoperability between diverse domains. Its design allows for the systematic integration of data and metadata, enabling seamless traceability of data generation. Overall, PMDco is a crucial step towards a unified and comprehensive understanding of the MSE domain. PMDco at GitHub: https://github.com/materialdigital/core-ontology
Knowledge representation in the Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) domain is a vast and multi-faceted challenge: Overlap, ambiguity, and inconsistency in terminology are common. Invariant (consistent) and variant (context-specific) knowledge are difficult to align cross-domain. Generic top-level semantic terminology often is too abstract, while MSE domain terminology often is too specific. In this paper, an approach how to maintain a comprehensive MSE-centric terminology composing a mid-level ontology–the Platform MaterialDigital Core Ontology (PMDco)–via MSE community-based curation procedures is presented. The illustrated findings show how the PMDco bridges semantic gaps between high-level, MSE-specific, and other science domain semantics. Additionally, it demonstrates how the PMDco lowers development and integration thresholds. Moreover, the research highlights how to fuel it with real-world data sources ranging from manually conducted experiments and simulations with continuously automated industrial applications.
Knowledge representation in the materials science and engineering (MSE) domain is a vast and multi-faceted challenge: Overlap, ambiguity, and inconsistency in terminology are common. Invariant and variant knowledge are difficult to align cross-domain. Generic top-level semantic terminology often is too abstract, while MSE domain terminology often is too specific.
In this presentation, an approach how to maintain a comprehensive and intuitive MSE-centric terminology composing a mid-level ontology–the PMD core ontology (PMDco)–via MSE community-based curation procedures is shown.
The PMDco is designed in direct support of the FAIR principles to address immediate needs of the global experts community and their requirements. The illustrated findings show how the PMDco bridges semantic gaps between high-level, MSE-specific, and other science domain semantics, how the PMDco lowers development and integration thresholds, and how to fuel it from real-world data sources ranging from manually conducted experiments and simulations as well as continuously automated industrial applications.
The dataset provided in this repository comprises data obtained from a series of full-notch creep tests (FNCT) performed on selected high-density polyethylene (PE-HD) materials (for further details, see section 1 Materials in this document) in accordance with the corresponding standard ISO 16770.
The FNCT is one of the mechanical testing procedures used to characterize polymer materials with respect to their environmental stress cracking (ESC) behavior. It is widely applied for PE-HD materials, that are predominantly used for pipe and container applications. It is based on the determination of the time to failure for a test specimen under constant mechanical load in a well-defined and temperature controlled liquid environment. The test device used here also allows for continuous monitoring of applied force, specimen elongation and temperature.
Knowledge representation in the materials science and engineering (MSE) domain is a vast and multi-faceted challenge: Overlap, ambiguity, and inconsistency in terminology are common. Invariant and variant knowledge are difficult to align cross-domain. Generic top-level semantic terminology often is too abstract, while MSE domain terminology often is too specific.
In this poster presentation, an approach how to maintain a comprehensive and intuitive MSE-centric terminology composing a mid-level ontology–the PMD core ontology (PMDco)–via MSE community-based curation procedures is shown.
The PMDco is designed in direct support of the FAIR principles to address immediate needs of the global experts community and their requirements. The illustrated findings show how the PMDco bridges semantic gaps between high-level, MSE-specific, and other science domain semantics, how the PMDco lowers development and integration thresholds, and how to fuel it from real-world data sources ranging from manually conducted experiments and simulations as well as continuously automated industrial applications.
Tensile Test Ontology (TTO)
(2023)
This is the stable version 2.0.1 of the PMD ontology module of the tensile test (Tensile Test Ontology - TTO) as developed on the basis of the 2019 standard ISO 6892-1: Metallic materials - Tensile Testing - Part 1: Method of test at room temperature.
The TTO was developed in the frame of the PMD project. The TTO provides conceptualizations valid for the description of tensile test and corresponding data in accordance with the respective standard. By using TTO for storing tensile test data, all data will be well structured and based on a common vocabulary agreed on by an expert group (generation of FAIR data) which will lead to enhanced data interoperability. This comprises several data categories such as primary data, secondary data and metadata. Data will be human and machine readable. The usage of TTO facilitates data retrieval and downstream usage. Due to a close connection to the mid-level PMD core ontology (PMDco), the interoperability of tensile test data is enhanced and data querying in combination with other aspects and data within the broad field of material science and engineering (MSE) is facilitated.
The TTO class structure forms a comprehensible and semantic layer for unified storage of data generated in a tensile test including the possibility to record data from analysis, re-evaluation and re-use. Furthermore, extensive metadata allows to assess data quality and reproduce experiments. Following the open world assumption, object properties are deliberately low restrictive and sparse.
This is an interactive workshop of the Plattform MaterialDigital (PMD) on Semantic Web technologies (SWT) where we delve into the world of ontology development and data structuring in the field of materials science and engineering (MSE). This workshop is designed to equip participants with essential skills in categorizing classes within ontologies, with a special emphasis on the PMD Core Ontology (PMDco). Discover the immense value of ontologies for MSE data reproducibility and reuse and harness the power of PMDco to foster your data management practices.
In this workshop, you will explore the intricacies of class categorization when developing ontologies in the MSE domain. Through interactive discussions and hands-on exercises, you will learn effective techniques for structuring and organizing ontologies to enhance data retrieval and analysis. You will gain valuable insights into best practices and considerations for class categorization, aiming at optimal data organization and management within your MSE projects.
One of the highlights of this workshop is the introduction to PMDco, a mid-level ontology in the field of MSE developed community-driven in the frame of the project PMD. Learn about PMDco, its underlying concepts, and its application in detail. Discover how PMDco provides a comprehensive framework for MSE data representation, enabling seamless integration and interoperability across different systems and platforms. In addition to exploring PMDco, this workshop will illustrate the benefits of data interoperability and SWT with respect to leveraging the full potential of MSE data.
The efforts taken within the project ‘platform MaterialDigital’ (PMD, materialdigital.de) to store FAIR data in accordance with a standard-compliant ontological representation (‘application ontology’) of a tensile test of metals at room temperature (ISO 6892-1:2019-11) will be presented. This includes the path from developing an ontology in accordance with the respective standard, converting ordinary data obtained from standard tests into the interoperable RDF format, up to connecting the ontology and data. The semantic connection of the ontology and data leads to interoperability and an enhanced ability of querying. For further reusability of data and knowledge semantically stored, the PMD core ontology (PMDco) was developed, which is a mid-level ontology in the field of MSE. The semantic connection of the tensile test application ontology to the PMDco is also presented. Moreover, Ontopanel, a tool for domain experts facilitating visual ontology development and mapping for FAIR data sharing in MSE, is introduced briefly.
In recent years, the design and development of materials are strongly interconnected with the development of digital technologies. In this respect, efficient data management is the building block of material digitization and, in the field of materials science and engineering (MSE), effective solutions for data standardization and sharing of different digital resources are needed. Therefore, ontologies are applied that represent a map of MSE concepts and relationships between them. Among different ontology development approaches, graphical editing based on standard conceptual modeling languages is increasingly used due to its intuitiveness and simplicity. This approach is also adopted by the Materials-open-Laboratory project (Mat-o-Lab), which aims to develop domain ontologies and method graphs in accordance with testing standards in the field of MSE. To suit the actual demands of domain experts in the project, Ontopanel was created as a plugin for the popular open-source graphical editor diagrams.net to enable graphical ontology editing. It includes a set of pipeline tools to foster ontology development in diagrams.net, comprising imports and reusage of ontologies, converting diagrams to Web Ontology Language (OWL), verifying diagrams using OWL rules, and mapping data. It reduces learning costs by eliminating the need for domain experts to switch between various tools. Brinell hardness testing is chosen in this study as a use case to demonstrate the utilization of Ontopanel.
Following the new paradigm of materials development, design and optimization, the digitalization of materials and processes is the main goal which imposes a huge challenge. In this respect, the quality assurance of processes and output data as well as the interoperability between applications following FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, reusability) principles are to be ensured. This includes storage, processing and querying of data in a preferably standardized form, also addressing the incorporation of standardization bodies. To meet the challenge to contextualize material data in a way that is consistent with all stakeholders, all necessary information on the condition of the material including production and application-related changes have to be made available via a uniform, machine-readable description. For this purpose, ontologies are to be used since they allow for machine-understandable knowledge representations and semantic conceptualizations that are needed for data management and the digitalization in the field of materials science.
With respect to this currently ever-growing topic of integration and reuse of data and knowledge from synthesis, production and characterization of materials, this presentation shows the efforts taken within the project Platform MaterialDigital (PMD, materialdigital.de) to store tensile test data in accordance with a standard-compliant ontological representation. The includes the path from developing an ontology in accordance with the respective standard, converting ordinary and arbitrarily selected data gained from standard tests into the interoperable RDF format, up to connecting the ontology and data, respectively. Finally, such data can be queried from a triple store.
In the field of material science and engineering (MSE), most mechanical test methods are standardized which serves as a valid basis for ontology development. Therefore, the well-known tensile test of metals at room temperature (DIN EN ISO standard 6892-1:2019-11) was selected to be considered as one of the first use cases in PMD. This consideration within the PMD features both, the ontological representation of such a tensile test in accordance with the standard as well as exemplary data generation. The semantic connection of the ontology and data leads to interoperability and an enhanced ability of querying.
The dataset provided in this repository comprises data obtained from a series of characterization tests performed to a sheet of typical S355 (material number: 1.0577) structural steel (designation of steel according to DIN EN 10025-2:2019). The tests include methods for the determination of mechanical properties such as, e.g., tensile test, Charpy test and sonic resonance test. This dataset is intended to be extended by the inclusion of data obtained from further test methods. Therefore, the entire dataset (concept DOI) comprises several parts (versions), each of which is addressed by a unique version DOI.
The data were generated in the frame of the digitization project Innovationplatform MaterialDigital (PMD) which, amongst other activities, aims to store data in a semantically and machine understandable way. Therefore, data structuring and data formats are focused in addition to aspects in the field of material science and engineering (MSE). Hence, this data is supposed to provide reference data as basis for experimental data inclusion, conversion and structuring (data management and processing) that leads to semantical expressivity as well as for MSE experts being generally interested in the material properties and knowledge.
The amount of data generated worldwide is constantly increasing. These data come from a wide variety of sources and systems, are processed differently, have a multitude of formats, and are stored in an untraceable and unstructured manner, predominantly in natural language in data silos. This problem can be equally applied to the heterogeneous research data from materials science and engineering. In this domain, ways and solutions are increasingly being generated to smartly link material data together with their contextual information in a uniform and well-structured manner on platforms, thus making them discoverable, retrievable, and reusable for research and industry. Ontologies play a key role in this context. They enable the sustainable representation of expert knowledge and the semantically structured filling of databases with computer-processable data triples.
In this perspective article, we present the project initiative Materials-open-Laboratory (Mat-o-Lab) that aims to provide a collaborative environment for domain experts to digitize their research results and processes and make them fit for data-driven materials research and development. The overarching challenge is to generate connection points to further link data from other domains to harness the promised potential of big materials data and harvest new knowledge.
Due to the diversity of materials and the processes associated with their production and use, the complexity of the lifecycles of materials and the multitude of academic and industrial researchers participating in generation of data for material design impose a huge challenge. The topical goal of digitalizing materials and processes can only be adequately addressed by consolidating the efforts of all stakeholders in this field. There are many scattered activities, but there is a demand for an elimination of redundancies as well as an advance in acceptance and a common basis in the digitalization of materials. Furthermore, data analysis methods play an important role in both, the experimental and simulation-based digital description of materials, but they have been poorly structured so far.
Therefore, the two joint projects Platform Material Digital (PMD, materialdigital.de) and Materials open Laboratory (Mat-o-Lab, matolab.de) aim to contribute to a standardized description of data processing methods in materials research. Besides stimulating the formation of a collaborative community in this respect, their main technical goals are the quality assurance of the processes and the output data, the acquisition and definition of their accuracy as well as the interoperability between applications. In this regard, data management in accordance with the FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, reuseability) principles is addressed. There is a common agreement in the scientific community following current discussions that data is supposed to be conform to these principles. This includes storage, processing and querying of data in a preferably standardized form.
To meet the challenge to contextualize material data in a way that is consistent with all stakeholders, all necessary information on the condition of the material including production and application-related changes have to be made available via a uniform, machine-readable description. For this purpose, ontologies are to be used since they allow for machine-understandable knowledge representations and conceptualizations that are needed for data management and the digitalization in the field of materials science.
As first efforts in PMD and Mat-o-Lab, application ontologies are created to explicitly describe processes and test methods. Thereby, the well-known tensile test of metals at room temperature was described ontologically in accordance with the respective ISO standard 6892-1:2019-11.
The efforts in creating this tensile test application ontology are shown in this presentation. Especially, the path of ontology development based on standards to be pursued is focused, which is in accordance with the generic recommendations for ontology development and which is supposed to be exemplary for the creation of other application ontologies.
Data analysis methods play an important role in both the experimental and simulation-based digital description of materials but have so far been poorly structured. The platform Material Digital (PMD) is supposed to contribute to a standardized description of data processing methods in materials research. The goal is the quality assurance of the processes and the output data, the acquisition and definition of their accuracy as well as the interoperability between applications.
Therefore, application ontologies are created to explicitly describe processes and test methods. In this presentation, the first efforts within the joint project PMD in creating a tensile test application ontology in accordance with the ISO standard 6892-1:2019-11 are shown. Especially, the path of ontology development to be pursued based on standards was focused. Furthermore, the presentation includes a live demonstration of queries possibly performed to query data that was uploaded in the PMD triple store.
Data analysis methods play an important role in both the experimental and simulation-based digital description of materials but have so far been poorly structured. The platform Material Digital (PMD) should contribute to a standardized description of data processing methods in materials research. The goal is the quality assurance of the processes and the output data, the acquisition and definition of their accuracy as well as the interoperability between applications.
Therefore, application ontologies are created to explicitly describe processes and test methods. In this presentation, the first efforts in creating a tensile test application ontology in accordance with the ISO standard 6892-1:2019-11 are shown. Especially, the path of ontology development to be pursued based on standards was focused.
A phenomenological criterion for an optical assessment of PE-HD fracture surfaces obtained from FNCT
(2021)
The full-notch creep test (FNCT) is a common test method to evaluate the environmental stress cracking (ESC) behavior of high-density polyethylene (PE-HD), e.g. for 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 PE-HD specimens under constant mechanical load in a well-defined liquid test environment. Since the craze-crack damage mechanism underlying the ESC phenomenon is associated with brittle failure, the occurrence of a predominantly brittle fracture surface is a prerequisite to consider an FNCT measurement as representative for ESC, i.e. a time to failure dominated by craze-crack propagation.
The craze-crack propagation continuously reduces the effective residual cross-sectional area of the specimen during the test, which results in a corresponding increase of the effective mechanical stress. Thus, a transition to ductile shear deformation is inevitable at later stages of the test, leading usually to a pronounced central ligament.
Therefore, an optical evaluation of FNCT fracture surfaces concerning their brittleness is essential. An enhanced imaging analysis of FNCT fracture surfaces enables a detailed assessment of craze-crack Propagation during ESC. In this study, laser scanning microscopy (LSM) was employed to evaluate whether FNCT fracture surfaces are representative with respect to craze-crack propagation and ESC. Based on LSM height data, a phenomenological criterion is proposed to assess the validity of distinct FNCT measurements. This criterion is
supposed to facilitate a quick evaluation of FNCT results in practical routine testing. Its applicability is verified on a sample basis for seven different commercial PE-HD container materials.
Environmental Stress Cracking (ESC) and Slow Crack Growth (SCG) of PE-HD induced by external fluids
(2020)
High-density polyethylene (PE-HD) is widely used as a packaging material. Typical applications are pipes and containers for storage and transport of dangerous goods. For these applications, the understanding of the craze-crack damage mechanisms slow crack growth (SCG) and environmental stress cracking (ESC) is of importance. Since these mechanisms are considered to be the major causes of failure, their understanding is essential for inspection and release of those materials.
A well-established test method for the assessment of these damage mechanisms is the full-notch creep test (FNCT). It is used in this study for a detailed investigation of crack propagation phenomena in PE-HD container materials under the influence of different fluids such as air, water and aqueous detergent solutions (Arkopal N 100) as well as biodiesel and diesel. Based on the results of the FNCT, a classification scheme of different fluids is proposed, which allows for an assignment of the respective damage mechanisms. Hereby, it is differentiated between (i) inert, (ii) purely surface-active and (iii) additionally sorptive, bulk-active fluids with respect to SCG. If the test fluid changes the intrinsic properties (at the surface or in the bulk), the damage mechanism is addressed to ESC behavior.
In FNCT investigations, stress, temperature and specimen geometry were varied systematically. In addition to the time to failure as common measure for the resistance of a PE-HD type against crack propagation, specimen elongation was considered in detail.
Several imaging techniques were applied for fracture surface analysis of specimens tested in FNCT to gain novel information on SCG and ESC behavior. From height profiles obtained by laser scanning microscopy (LSM) and information on surface structures from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), indicators for the differentiation of the crack propagation mechanisms could be derived. Based on the LSM data, an algorithm for the distinction between ductile shear deformation and brittle crack growth as dominating failure mechanism was developed. Imaging techniques were also used for determination of crack propagation rates, which were related to time-resolved FNCT elongation data. From the time-resolved determination of crack lengths of partly damaged FNCT specimens, an increasing length of craze zone with a progressively propagating crack was revealed for the first time. This relation of crack and craze zones was specified by fracture mechanical considerations.
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.
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.
The aim of this research is to study the influence of moisture absorption at low moisture contents on the creep behaviour of an epoxy adhesive in steel bonded joints. Single lap joints were manufactured using high strength steel adherends and a two-component epoxy adhesive. The single lap joints were tested at load Levels corresponding to average lap shear stresses of±5%, 15%, 30% and 45% of the dry lap shear strength in both 40 °C air and 40 °C distilled water. Specimens were not pre-aged to be able to analyse the coupled effect of moisture and loading. The test results show that an increase in the load level resulted in an increase in the instantaneous strain and in the creep strain rate. The creep strain of single lap joints loaded in water was generally larger than for the ones loaded in air. For joints loaded in water the creep behaviour was found to be dependent on the moisture concentration in the adhesive. At low moisture percentages creep was suppressed, resulting in a lower instantaneous strain. At higher moisture percentages creep was promoted, resulting in a larger strain rate. The suppression of creep at low moisture percentages is attributed to water molecules bonding to the epoxy macromolecules, resulting in a reduction in molecular mobility and a smaller creep strain. At higher moisture percentages the plasticizing effect of the water dominates, resulting in a larger creep strain. The Maxwell threeelement solid model and Kelvin-Voigt three-element solid model were used to simulate the creep behaviour of the single lap joints loaded in air and water. The models gave good representations of the creep Response across the different load levels in both water and air, they were however unable to give a correct representation of the instantaneous strain of the single lap joints loaded in water. This is attributed to the models being unable to account for the present short-term relaxation process that is dependent on the moisture concentration.
Different imaging techniques were employed to monitor Full Notch Creep Test (FNCT) experiments addressing environmental stress cracking in more detail. The FNCT is a well-established test method to assess slow crack growth and environmental stress cracking of polymer materials, especially polyethylene. The standard test procedure, as specified in ISO 16770, provides a simple comparative measure of the resistance to crack growth of a certain material based on the overall time to failure when loaded with a well-defined mechanical stress and immersed in a liquid medium promoting crack propagation.
Destructive techniques which require a direct view on the free fracture surface, such as light microscopy and laser scanning microscopy, are compared to non-destructive techniques, i.e. scanning acoustic microscopy and xray micro computed tomography. All methods allow the determination of an effective crack length. Based on a series of FNCT specimens progressively damaged for varied Durations under standard test conditions, the estimation of crack propagation rates is also enabled. Despite systematic deviations related to the respective Imaging techniques, this nevertheless provides a valuable tool for the detailed evaluation of the FNCT and its further development.
As the well-known damage mechanisms slow crack growth (SCG) and environmental stress cracking (ESC) are the major causes for possible failure of polyolefin-based materials, especially for PE-HD, they are highly relevant and need to be considered thoroughly. Furthermore, due to slight but perceptible differences in damaging effect, a differentiation between SCG and ESC is expedient. SCG appears in “inert” or “neutral” media without a decisive influence of the surrounding medium whereas ESC occurs in “active” media, which influence the failure behavior and time to failure crucially.
To characterize the inherent resistance of the material against those damage mechanisms, the well-established Full-Notch Creep Test (FNCT) is used. In this study, the FNCT – usually applied according to ISO 16770 [3] using a few universal model liquid media and mainly for pipe materials – is extended by investigations with appropriate parameters of selected relevant PE-HD container materials also in real media, such as the topical fuels diesel and biodiesel. The investigations were performed using a novel FNCT-device with 12 individual sub-stations, each equipped with individual electronic stress and temperature control and continuous online monitoring of the specimen elongation.
Especially, mechanical stress and temperature were varied systematically during FNCT and time to failure values, time-dependent elongation data as well as detailed fracture surface analysis by laser scanning microscopy (LSM) were combined for the first time (Fig. 1). Particularly, the fracture surface analysis provides a sound basis to characterize failure behavior, mainly regarding the balance between brittle crack propagation and ductile deformation. Therefore, fracture surface analysis is an essential tool for a decent assessment of SCG and ESC by FNCT measurements.
Damage of PE-HD induced by liquid media - Full Notch Creep Testing (FNCT) and Imaging analysis
(2017)
Due to the increasing demand for utilization and improvement of energy efficient materials, especially concerning requirements in lightweight construction and design, polyolefin materials are used extensively and in an increasingly broad range of applications.
Although loaded with stresses under yield stress, preformed voids, inhomogeneities or notches can possibly lead to damage and unexpected failure induced by liquid media in polyolefin materials. For PE-HD, slow crack growth (SCG) as well as environmental stress cracking (ESC) are relevant damage mechanisms. SCG appears without influence of a surrounding medium or in “inert” media whereas ESC occurs in “active” media, which have decisive influence on damage mechanism and time to failure.
To characterize the inherent resistance of the material against those damage mechanisms, the Full-Notch Creep Test (FNCT) is widely used. Therefore, the FNCT is of paramount importance particularly for the assessment of pipe and blow molding types of PE-HD – especially for automotive but also for most other high-performance applications.
In this study, the FNCT – usually applied as a standardized testing method (ISO 16770) using a few universal model liquid media – is extended by investigations of selected relevant PE-HD materials with a variety of properties also in real media. Mainly topical fuels, customary in the market such as diesel and biodiesel are examined. Especially the influence of temperature, and the ESC behavior of PE-HD in media that are sorbed to a significant extent, are addressed.
The investigations were performed using a novel FNCT-device with 12 individual sub-stations, each equipped with individual electronic stress and temperature control and continuous online monitoring of the specimen elongation.
Additional to acquired results concerning time to failure and elongation behavior, imaging techniques, such as light microscopy (LM), laser scanning microscopy (LSM) and X-ray computed tomography (CT scan) were utilized to obtain data concerning crack propagation and media migration. Correlations of elongation behavior and data derived from imaging analysis such as fracture plane roughness were obtained.
Due to the increasing demand for utilization and improvement of energy efficient materials, especially concerning requirements in lightweight construction and design, polyolefin materials are used extensively and in an increasingly broad range of applications.
Although loaded with stresses under yield stress, preformed voids, inhomogeneities or notches can possibly lead to damage and unexpected failure induced by liquid media in polyolefin materials. For PE-HD, slow crack growth (SCG) as well as environmental stress cracking (ESC) are relevant damage mechanisms. SCG appears without influence of a surrounding medium or in “inert” media whereas ESC occurs in “active” media, which have decisive influence on damage mechanism and time to failure. To characterize the inherent resistance of the material against those damage mechanisms, the Full-Notch Creep Test (FNCT) is widely used. Therefore, the FNCT is of paramount importance particularly for the assessment of pipe and blow molding types of PE-HD – especially in the field of polymer development and improvement for high-performance applications.
In this study, the FNCT – usually applied as a standardized testing method (ISO 16770) using a few universal model liquid media – is extended by investigation of selected relevant PE-HD materials with a variety of properties also in real media. Mainly topical fuels, customary in the market such as diesel and biodiesel are examined. Especially the influence of temperature, and the ESC behavior of PE-HD in media that are sorbed to a significant extent, are addressed.
The investigations were performed using a novel FNCT-device with 12 individual sub-stations, each equipped with individual electronic stress and temperature control and continuous online monitoring of the specimen elongation.
Additional to acquired results concerning time to failure and elongation behavior, imaging techniques, such as light microscopy (LM), laser scanning microscopy (LSM) and X-ray computed tomography (CT scan) were utilized to obtain data concerning crack propagation and media migration. Correlations of elongation behavior and data derived from imaging analysis were obtained.
Due to the increasing demand for utilization and improvement of energy efficient materials, especially concerning requirements in lightweight construction and design, polyolefin materials are used extensively and in an increasingly broad range of applications.
Although loaded with stresses under yield stress, preformed voids, inhomogeneities or notches can possibly lead to damage and unexpected failure induced by liquid media in polyolefin materials. For PE-HD, slow crack growth (SCG) as well as environmental stress cracking (ESC) are relevant mechanisms of damage. SCG appears without influence of a surrounding medium or in “inert” media whereas ESC occurs in “active” media, which have decisive influence on damage mechanism and time to failure. To characterize the intrinsic resistance of the material against those damage mechanisms, the Full-Notch Creep Test (FNCT) is widely used and of paramount importance particularly for the assessment of pipe and blow molding types of PE-HD.
In this study, the FNCT – usually applied as a standardized testing method (ISO 16770) using a few universal model liquid media – is extended by investigations of selected relevant PE-HD materials with a variety of properties also in real media. Mainly topical fuels, customary in the market such as diesel and biodiesel are examined. Especially the influence of temperature, and the ESC behavior of PE-HD in media that are sorbed to a significant extent, are addressed. The underlying diffusion-controlled sorption process was assessed before comparing non-saturated specimens with samples previously saturated with sorbing media.
The investigations were performed using a novel FNCT-device with 12 individual sub-stations, each equipped with individual electronic stress and temperature control and continuous online monitoring of the specimen elongation.
In addition to acquired results concerning time to failure and elongation behavior, imaging techniques, such as light microscopy (LM), laser scanning microscopy (LSM) and X-ray computed tomography (CT scan) were utilized to obtain data concerning crack propagation and media migration. Fracture surface analysis (LM, LSM) and quasi in-situ imaging (CT scan) via measurement in different load stages are considered explicitly. Correlations of elongation behavior and data derived from imaging analysis such as fracture plane roughness and height of areas of ductile deformation were obtained.
The damage mechanisms slow crack growth (SCG) and environmental stress cracking (ESC), relevant for PE-HD materials are characterized based on improved full notch creep testing (FNCT) of two selected typical PE-HD materials for container applications. In this context, a distinction of the failure mechanisms as well as a categorization of involved media is suggested. Employing a novel FNCT device, elongation data were obtained in addition to conventional time-to-failure results of stress-dependent as well as temperature-dependent measurements. Changes in failure behavior, as determined by fracture surface analysis based on light microscopy (LM) and laser scanning microscopy (LSM), are correlated with FNCT results and used to introduce an additional possibility for the identification of brittle/ductile fracture behavior.
The full-notch creep test (FNCT) is widely used to characterize the slow crack growth (SCG) behavior of polyolefin materials in “inert” media as well as effects of environmental stress cracking (ESC) in which the medium has decisive influence on damage mechanism and time to failure. The test is of greatest importance for pipe and blow molding types of polyethylene, high density (PE-HD). Usually the full-notch creep test is applied as a standardized testing method (ISO 16770) using a few universal liquid media, such as solutions of Arkopal N 100. In our study, selected relevant polyethylene, high density materials are investigated also in real media – practical formulations as well as representative pure chemicals – and influences of temperature and geometry of specimen and notch are explicitly addressed. Furthermore, the investigations comprise also the environmental stress cracking behavior of polyethylene, high density in media that are sorbed to a significant extent – examples are diesel and biodiesel – based on comparison with samples previously saturated with those media. Thus, also the underlying diffusion controlled sorption process has to be assessed before. The investigations were performed using a full-notch creep testing device with 12 individual sub-stations, each equipped with individual electronic stress and temperature control and continuous online monitoring of the specimen elongation.
The Full-Notch Creep Test (FNCT) is widely used to characterize the slow crack growth (SCG) behavior of polyolefin materials in “inert” media as well as effects of environmental stress cracking (ESC) in which the medium has decisive influence on damage mechanism and time to failure tf*. Usually the FNCT is applied as a standardized testing method (ISO 16770) using a few universal liquid media, such as solutions of Arkopal N 100 (detergent).
Selected relevant PE-HD materials are investigated also in real media and influences of temperature and geometry of specimen and notch are explicitly addressed. The investigations comprise also the ESC behavior of PE-HD in media that are sorbed to a significant extent – such as Diesel and Biodiesel – based on comparison with samples previously saturated with those media.
The FNCT is widely used to characterize the slow crack growth (SCG) behavior of polyolefinic materials in “inert” media as well as effects of environmental stress cracking (ESC) in which the medium has decisive influence on damage mechanism and time to failure. The test is of greatest importance for pipe and blow molding types of PE-HD - especially for transport and packaging of dangerous goods but also for most other high-performance applications.
Usually the FNCT is applied as a standardized testing method (ISO 16770) using a few universal liquid media, such as solutions of Arkopal N 100.
In our study, selected relevant PE-HD materials are investigated also in real media – practical formulations as well as representative pure chemicals – and influences of temperature and geometry of specimen and notch are explicitly addressed. Furthermore, the investigations comprise also the ESC behavior of PE-HD in media that are sorbed to a significant extent – one example are fuels, such as diesel and biodiesel – based on comparison with samples previously saturated with those media. Thus, also the underlying diffusion controlled sorption process has to be assessed before.
The investigations were performed using a FNCT-device with 12 individual sub-stations, each equipped with individual electronic stress and temperature control and continuous online monitoring of the specimen elongation.