Comparison of the mechanical behavior of two thermo-plastic polymers by static tests (numerically and experimentally): High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)

Abstract

Tensile testing identifies the properties and mechanical characteristics of materials of different kinds (metals, polymers, etc.) [9]. Polymers are macromolecules bound together by large numbers of small molecule chains [3], polymers can be classified according to their origins, chemical structure, mode of synthesis or properties (Thermoplastics, elastomers, thermosets) [5]. The identification of polymer behavior depends on several factors, such as the type of load, temperature and morphology of the polymer. In this work we are interested in studying and characterizing two types of thermoplastic polymers, high-density polyethylene ‘HDPE’ and high-impact polystyrene ‘HIPS’ under experimental tensile testing and simulated tensile testing to understand the effect of nature and physical properties on the behavior of these polymers. The experimental and numerical results show that the two thermoplastics studied are ductile, the stress at break and the elastic limit of the HIPS are greater than those of the HDPE.