An instability leading to failure of polyethylene in uniaxial creep

Based on a continuum model, a point of instability is predicted for the uniaxial creep of high density polyethylene. From dead load experiments it has been found that the instability occurs for linear polyethylene at around 10–12 percent strain, depending upon molecular weight and molecular weight distribution. It is shown that in the range of applied stresses for which the specimens neck during uniaxial creep, the time required to reach the critical point is related by a constant factor to the time at which the neck appears. A synopsis of theoretical considerations, as well as experimental work in support of this idea, is given.