Toerner, Hannah Elizabeth (2020-04). Experimental Analysis of the Fatigue Behavior of Recycled Highdensity Polyethylene Glass Fiber Composites. Master's Thesis.
Thesis
This research focuses on the analysis of the mechanical responses of a recycled high-density polyethylene glass fiber composite material when subjected to uniaxial tension fatigue. The desired properties were determined through experimental testing of specimens extracted from crossties composed of the aforementioned material. Results and data gathered from the experiment were compared to the properties of material currently used in fields that provide potential use for the polymer composite. Following the experimental analysis, a computational finite element model was constructed to study the effects of gripping on the mechanical response of the specimens. A further detailed analysis was performed to study the effects of surface pores on specimen performance. Upon completing the experiments and computational finite element analysis, recommendations for improvement in the material were made, and a detailed procedure to be used in conducting further experimental research was established.
