Abstract Polyethyne is a exible,thermoplastic material that is synthesized through the polymerization of ethane.

It has a wide variety of uses in the production of various types of products,owing to its strong mechanical properties such as hardness and ultimate tensile stress.Polystyrene,on the other hand,is a rigid,glassy thermoplastic polymer.In terms of its mechanical properties,it tends to be brittle and has a lower of value of toughness.Nevertheless,it is used to make cheap products,since it can be processed quite easily. In this report,the ultimate tensile stress (UTS) of these polymers are analyzed,by subjecting them to the Hounseld testing machine,at different cross speeds.Several calculations are made from the results - stress, strain, which are then used to evaluate the Young modulus (E).This is then compared to published data,and several discrepancies are noted.Furthermore,the results are discussed along with the suitability of the materials for certain applications.

Aim The aim of this experiment is to analyze the tensile loading of polyethylene and polystyrene and determine the Young Modulus (E),which is to be compared with published data. Background theory Polyethylene(CH2CH2)nis a synthetic homopolymer made up of large numbers of the same repeating unit of ethylene molecules(monomer) via addition polymerization.It is bifunctional,since it has two binding areas(-H),through which it can form covalently bonded links with other units,resulting in a linear polymer structure.At its molecular level,it depicts a simple,semi-crystalline structure-with many areas of orderly arrangement and a few amorphous regions.(Polymer science and technology).Due to its high crystallinity it has a relatively high melting point(Tm) of 135*,despite the fact that it is held together by weak van der waals forces.(Polymer science and technology).As a result of its thermoplastic properties,it melts and becomes malleable above its glass transition temperature(),thus making it possible to be remoulded into any shape.The conditions of polyethylene polymerization can be varied to produce different types of polyethylene that vary in their physical properties(Refer Table 1) Polystyrene,also a thermoplastic polymer,is formed by free radical polymerization of repeating units of single styrene molecules.The monomer has two binding sites (-NH2),(COOH),and bonds covalently to form a long hydrocarbon chain.In its solid form it is a transparent brittle polymer,with lower toughness value.It has a Tg of 100C(2) and a Tm of 240C.This polymer can exist in 3 forms-isotactic, atatic, syntatic,as a result of the benzyl group arrangement. Monomer Ethylene Polymerization Conditions Polymer Properties Highly branched,non-crystalline structure Less strong and lower density(0.91-0.94g/cm3) Less branched,highly crystalline structure Stronger,higher density(0.95-0.97g/ cm3)and higher m.p than LDPE

Pressure-1000-3000 bar LDPE Temperature-80-100C At lower conc. of oxygen Pressure-10-80 bar Temperature-70-300C Catalyst-Ziegler-natta HDPE

Table 1.0-Polymerization of polyethyne (http://www.ausetute.com.au/polythen.html) When subjected to tensile stress,polymers exhibit a variety of different macroscopic changes.In Polyethylene(which is a ductile polymer),the stress-strain graph depicts an elastic(up to the yield point) and plastic deformation.Whereas in polystyrene(brittle polymer)no elastic deformation will be seen and further increase in strain would cause fracture.The mechanical properties are inuenced highly by temperature and strain rate. FIGURE 3

Experimental Procedure The dimensions of the specimens of the thin,thick samples of polyethene and of polystyrene are taken using a micrometer and a vernier calliper. The thickness and width of the neck region is taken using a micrometer and the length of the neck region is measured using a vernier calliper.After measuring the dimensions,the specimens are subjected to the hounseld testing machine.Both ends of the specimen are attached to the machine,and it is extended at a different rates. The results obtained from the hounseld testing machine(Graph of Force vs. Extension) are then analysed to nd the Young Modulus.

http://www.cmse.ed.ac.uk/MSE2/MOCM_v1_Chs%2046-49.pdf (2)http://faculty.uscupstate.edu/llever/Polymer%20Resources/GlassTrans.htm (3) http://doc.isiri.org.ir/c/document_library/get_le? p_l_id=18472&folderId=21150&name=DLFE-21934.pdf)