ABSTRACT The fracture mechanics properties of injection-moulded low-density polyethylene (LDPE) sheets were investigated both experimentally and numerically. The total work of fracture was determined experimentally, by means of fracture mechanics testing of sheets of injection-moulded LDPE with side cracks of different lengths. A multi-specimen method, proposed by Kim and Joe (1987), was employed. The total […]
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ABSTRACT Injection-moulding is one of the most common manufacturing processes used for polymers. In many applications, the mechanical properties of the product is of great importance. Injection-moulding of thin-walled polymer products tends to leave the polymer structure in a state where the mechanical properties are anisotropic, due to alignment of polymer chains along the melt […]
Read MoreABSTRACT We study the stability of twin boundaries and slip in crystalline orthorhombic polyethylene by means of density functional theory (DFT), using a nonempirical, truly nonlocal density function, and by means of classical molecular dynamics (MD). The results show that, in accordance with experimental observations, there is a clear preference to chain slip over transverse […]
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