Description:
The response of plastic materials to mechanical stress is contingent on many variables. One very important characteristic is the rate at which the stress is applied, otherwise known as the strain rate. There are many ways in which plastics can be subjected to high strain rate loading. The most common include impact, snap fit assembly, and rapid pressurization. Topics covered will include failure mechanism of plastics, strain rate as a ductile-to-brittle transition, and impact testing. The effects of strain rate will be reviewed and case studies are used to illustrate failure resulting from rapid stress loading.