Slow crack growth and associated plastic deformation in linear medium-density polyethylene

Since the introduction of polyethylene (PE) pipe for use in natural gas distribution about twenty years ago, nearly one billion feet of various grades have been installed in North America. Now more than 80% of all pipe installed for natural gas distribution is made of PE, and this percentage is increasing annually. The material now used in the natural gas industry is a PE copolymer made with ethylene and an α-olefin, generally either a hexene or octene, which causes side branches of 4 or 6 carbons respectively. The amount of branches is kept fairly low, somewhere in the range of 3-10 branches per 1000 backbone carbons, such that the resultant density is between 0.926 and.940 gm/cc.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemistry, Polymer

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Lear, Jeffrey Joseph

Contributors dc:contributor

• Geil, Phillip H.

• Chemistry, Polymer
• Plastics Technology

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 1990 Lear, Jeffrey Joseph

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

AAI9021715
(UMI)AAI9021715

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/22591