Long term properties of

plastics

Long term strength

CREEP- The time dependant non-reversible
deformation of a material exposed to a
constant stress

Plastic under creep

Tensile Creep
The strain produced by a
specified tensile load after a
specified time of application

Flexural Creep
The outer fiber strain
produced by a specified
flexural load after a
specified time of application

 It is important for the designer to work in the

second stage and not enter the third stage.

Creep curve re-plots

Family of creep curves at ToC= const

Isochronous
curves

Isometric curves

Creep response in log scale

Question
A polycarbonate sheet of 600 mm in length (L) and
150mm in width (b) is used for making a book shelf
1.Calculate the minimum required wall thickness (d),
if the plastic shelf supposed to be fixed at both
ends and to carry a uniformly distributed load of
25 kg/m at service temperature of 29 o C. The
service life of this shelf should be at least 4 years.
Maximum deformation of plastic material must
not exceed 1.5 %.

2 What will be the service life for the above

designed shelf, if the service temperature is
increased by 20 oC

Creep curves
Fig.4.1 (b)
for polycarbonate

4 years=365x4=1460
days
FL

12Z

Construct
isochronous curve
at 1460 days

bd 2 150 d 2
Z

6
6

Creep curves
Fig.4.1 (b)
for polycarbonate

Stres
s

0.7%

5MPA

0.9%

10

1.1 %

15MPa

1.4%

20MPa

1.6%

25MPa

2%

30MPa