Slow Crack Growth Test for Comparing and Selecting Polyethylene Gas Pipe Materials. Topical Report January 1983-December 1984

摘要

Except for third party damage, failure of polyethyene gas pipe distribution systems is predominately through slow crack growth at fittings, at squeeze-off points or under impinging rocks. The Slow Crack Growth test has been developed to measure the resistance of PE pipe to slow crack growth under external loads. Comparison with field failures has shown that this test reproduces the slow crack growth failure mechanism in field service. A round robin field evaluation of the SCG test by gas utilities demonstrated that the test is easy-to-use and very reproducible. These investigations demonstrate that the SCG test is the best method currently available for the comparing, ranking and selecting of PE gas pipe on the basis of its slow crack growth resistance.