Degradation of unstabilized medium‐density polyethylene pipes in hot‐water applications

Abstract

Pipes of an unstabilized medium-density polyethylene have been pressure tested with internal stagnant water and moderately circulating air as the external medium at temperatures ranging from 70 to 105°C and changes in molecular structure and crystallinity have been studied. The stage III (fracture induced by thermal oxidation) life of the unstabilized polyethylene pipes was less than 12% of the life of the corresponding stabilized polyethylene pipes. Infrared spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography showed an earlier and more extensive increase in the quantities of oxidation end-products and a more pronounced decrease in molar mass of the outer-wall-material than of the inner-wall-material of the pipe. Mass crystallinity, measured by differential scanning calorimetry, increased on an average by a quantity corresponding to 45 methylene groups per chain scission event. The life of the unstabilized pipe was divided into an induction period during which no detectable thermal oxidation occurred and a subsequent polymer degradation period. The induction period exhibited an Arrhenius-temperature-dependence with an activation energy of 75 kJ mol⁻¹.