Long term structural integrity of high density polyethylene blends investigated by measurement of creep

Polymer materials will undergo a progressive deformation at a constant stress, referred to as creep. The creep behaviour of polymers will control the suitability as a structural material and therefore is important to elucidate longterm performance under similar conditions to which would be its service life. The creep deformation was determined for HDPE and HDPE-EVA blends, with long term behaviour indicating reduced stability with the presence of EVA in the blend, particularly with activation of irreversible molecular structural changes.