13.5: Tensile Testing of Polyethylene
- Page ID
- 7868
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Method
In this experiment samples of polyethylene are subjected to a tensile stress. They are stretched at a constant rate until they fail. The sample is dumbbell-shaped so that it can be firmly held by each set of grips.
The test is carried out using a tensometer. The photograph below is of the Hounsfield H20K-W apparatus, which was used to perform the experiment.