Record Details
The present status of plastics as an engineering material
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | The present status of plastics as an engineering material |
| Names |
Summersett, John Steve
(creator) Peterson, John (advisor) |
| Date Issued | 1967-08-04 (iso8601) |
| Note | Graduation date: 1968 |
| Abstract | The present status of plastics is one of constant change, but this thesis attempts to focus attention on the state of the industry as of 1967. Beginning with a brief title definition and history of plastics, the writer proceeds to a discussion on the structural characteristics of plastics. Under this heading, a brief molecular description of plastic is given followed by a discussion on strength characteristics such as stress-strain diagrams, creep, stress relaxation, and the effects of environment. It is noted, however, that such strength characteristics can be markedly altered by proper selection of additives. Such additives are broken into three classes: reinforcements, fillers, and others. These additives greatly complicate design, however, increasing the need for accurate property data; mention is made of the difficulty of obtaining such design data. Design of plastics, as of 1967, is usually done with standard engineering formulas. For plastics, this is a very inaccurate method of design and requires a large factor of safety. However, design advancements are being made, such as the development of the time dependent modulus, Boltzmann modulus, and percentage of ultimate concept. Structural plastics today find a wide range of application: they are being used in aircraft; they are being used for wood-plastic alloys; automobile bodies have been constructed of them for many years; and marine applications vary from production of nine foot boats to 160 foot long ships. Yet, the future is even more promising. The writer concludes by mentioning some of the promising areas of current research; the most promising of which is improved resin reinforcement. |
| Genre | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Topic | Plastics |
| Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/47006 |
