Analysis of Dynamic Failure of High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) as Engineering Materials

Advances in engineering reliability and variability have allowed for a vast investigation into the dynamic failure of engineering materials in recent times than previously possible. This report aims to investigate and review the basic model in dynamic failure of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) engineering materials by fatigue, through the dynamic crack initiation and growth as in brittle materials, ductile materials and elastic-plastic solids as in layered materials and composites and adiabatic shear bending in ductile materials. Slow crack growth (SCG) under sustained loads (pressure and axial loads) is one of the limiting failure modes that affect the long term performance of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pressure material identified for use in replacement of existing steel material. This report also compares the resistance to the SCG exhibited by the parent and fusion HDPE materials in the Single Edge Notch Tension (SENT) specimen testing. Analysis of the crack growth resistance parameter through crack-mouth-opening-displacement (CMOD), and crack-opening-angle (COA) revealed a marked difference between the parent and fusion HDPE material.