Plastics Properties: Its All About the Temperature

The mechanical properties of plastics will vary depending on the temperature. Significant changes in short-term properties such as strength and ductility, as well as long-term properties including creep and fatigue can be observed, even over a relatively small range. This instability is due to the inherent molecular structure of polymeric materials and the resulting viscoelasticity. Having a very different structure, metals do not exhibit this type of behavior, and the variation in plastics can be overlooked. Many applications expose plastic components to temperatures above and below ambient.  In order to avoid failure, it is important to understand how the properties will change across the use range.

 At the conclusion of this event you will:

• Have a better understanding of how plastic mechanical properties change as a function of temperature.
• Recognize that there are both lower-end and upper-end temperature limits for polymer materials.
• Be more familiar with the testing that can be utilized for evaluating the effects of temperature on plastics, as well as tests that are commonly used but provide very little useful information.