Impact Calculations on Lexan and 1010 steel

[WeaponEvo1]

Hello All,

I am trying to calculate the energy absorption of lexan and 1010 steel. I know that this value is equal to the area under the stress-strain curve of each of the materials, but I am having trouble finding the stress-strain curve for lexan. Does anyone have this information? or can point me in a direction?..Thanks!!

 

[Biggadike]

Lexan is a trade name for Polycarbonate. I've asked in the past and can find no evidence at all to suggest that it differs from any other polycarbonate mechanically. It is supplied in optically good condition for printing etc.
If you speak to Bayer (a plastics manufacturer) they have a CD Rom with a great deal of data on their plastics. Their trademark polycarbonate is Macrolon.

I would be very wary of impact details for plastics. They don't have a stress-strain curve in the same way as metals do as they are normally visco-elastic which means that the speed of the applied load is a factor. The Charpy impact test gives relative impact absorbsion but is mostly useful for comparisons.

I would reccomend doing some tests yourself and replicating your situation rather than relying on data for impact solutions - polycarbonate is highly impact resistant but holding it in place to absorb impact without generating a cutting point / stress raiser is difficult.

 

[pbankester]

GE is the manufacturer of Lexan, and has a pretty good website. You have to sign up to be able to look at datasheets and graphs.

http://www.geplastics.com/resins/designsolution/tools/index.html