The dependence of rapid crack propagation in polyethylene pipes on the plane stress fracture energy of the resin

The critical temperature [CT] for rapid crack propagation [RCP] was measured in 11 polyethylene [PE] 200 mm diameter gas pipes each with different resins. The plane stress fracture energy [PSFE] in thin Charpy impact specimens of the resin was found to correlate with the CT. The higher the PSFE, the lower the CT. This result was related to the observation that the PSFE decreases as the temperature decreases. It was found that the impact energy of specimens from compression molded pipe that was remelted at 180°C gave a better correlation with the CT than specimens that were machined from the inner wall of the pipe. Consequently, it is now possible to predict the CT of a pipe by measuring the PSFE of the resin without making the pipe.