High-performance polymeric materials, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), can be considered a good choice for building boat hulls. HDPE is a thermoplastic polymer; hence, it has the advantage of being recycled and easy to produce. Moreover, its high corrosion and chemical resistance makes this material suitable for the marine environment. The application of HDPE in boatbuilding is relatively new. Thus, a deep knowledge of its mechanical properties as well as failure modes under mechanical loads is required. Preliminarily, nondestructive evaluation of defects due to the production technology has been performed on the HDPE specimens by active thermography and ultrasonic phased array. The mechanical behaviour under different loading conditions (tensile, bending) has been experimentally evaluated. The strain field during tensile tests has been calculated by digital image correlation technique and thermal behaviour was detected by infrared thermography. The experimental campaign aimed at assessing the mechanical strength of the investigated HDPE material. The effect of strain rate on their mechanical behaviour was also evaluated. For this reason, the specimens were subjected to different test speed. The results of mechanical tests highlighted that HDPE has good mechanical properties and very high ductility, together with the ability to give highly concentrated deformation (necking) and fibrillar failure.
Experimental Techniques for the Assessment of the Mechanical Behaviour of HDPE Used in Boat Building
Brando G.
;Crupi V.;Distefano F.;Epasto G.;
2025-01-01
Abstract
High-performance polymeric materials, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), can be considered a good choice for building boat hulls. HDPE is a thermoplastic polymer; hence, it has the advantage of being recycled and easy to produce. Moreover, its high corrosion and chemical resistance makes this material suitable for the marine environment. The application of HDPE in boatbuilding is relatively new. Thus, a deep knowledge of its mechanical properties as well as failure modes under mechanical loads is required. Preliminarily, nondestructive evaluation of defects due to the production technology has been performed on the HDPE specimens by active thermography and ultrasonic phased array. The mechanical behaviour under different loading conditions (tensile, bending) has been experimentally evaluated. The strain field during tensile tests has been calculated by digital image correlation technique and thermal behaviour was detected by infrared thermography. The experimental campaign aimed at assessing the mechanical strength of the investigated HDPE material. The effect of strain rate on their mechanical behaviour was also evaluated. For this reason, the specimens were subjected to different test speed. The results of mechanical tests highlighted that HDPE has good mechanical properties and very high ductility, together with the ability to give highly concentrated deformation (necking) and fibrillar failure.Pubblicazioni consigliate
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