Influence of fall height setting on drop weight tested polypropylene and its crack growing

This study deals with polypropylene (PP) which was subjected the drop-weight test. PP is a semicrystalline thermoplastic polymer which is commonly used in many indoor applications and also in the automotive industry in the car interiors. Injection moulded PP samples were subjected the penetration test at different fall heights and the results were subsequently evaluated and discussed. It was found out that the potential energy from 100 to 230 J are suitable for PP penetration; however, as the optimal 100 J can be considered. Higher heights are not needed because of increasing power consumption of the test device. With regard to deformation and crack growing thus PP is a tough material which is firstly plastically deformed and then on one side there is stress concentration, after that the crack spread around the penetrator. This material can be considered as a suitable material for impact applications from point of view of multiaxial impact load. © 2018, World Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society. All Rights Reserved.CZ.1.05/2.1.00/03.0089, FEDER;ERDF, European Regional Development Fund; LO1303, MŠMT, Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchov