Mechanical Testing of Polymers in Pressurized Hydrogen: Tension, Creep and Ductile Fracture

The paper aims at characterizing some key features of the mechanical behavior of two semi-crystalline polymers in weakly pressurized hydrogen. The opportunity to use hydrogen as an alternative energy strengthens the need for reliable data on possible coupling effects between gas diffusion and mechanical properties, especially for safe design purpose. However, such effects have not been really quantified in polymers. In the present study, a hydraulic testing machine has been fitted with a pressure hydrogen chamber, and three major aspects of the mechanical behavior have been investigated in polyethylene and polyamide 11: monotonic tension, long-term creep (based on a time-temperature superposition principle) and ductile fracture (evaluated from an essential work of fracture method). Suitable protocols have been defined to take into account specificity like temperature and pressure history dependence and gas saturation kinetics of the sample.