Assessment of strength and toughness of modified PVC pipes

A series of modified PVC pipes, with different concentrations of chlorinated polyethylene, was manufactured under carefully controlled processing conditions. The strength and toughness of each pipe was measured by a variety of methods including uniaxial tensile strength, notched C-ring, essential work of fracture, strain energy release rate, fracture toughness, and impact tests. Over the range of compositions tested, all of the quantitative measures of toughness and strength suggest an approximately linear relationship with modifier concentration. For pipe of the dimensions used in this study, the yield strength is overestimated when determined via the net section stress on the notched C-ring. (C) 2001 IoM Communications Ltd.