Intrinsic Lifetime of Polyethylene Pipelines

An equation was developed for calculating the time to failure by slow crack growth (SCG) failure in any polyethylene structure. The equation requires the following experimental inputs: (1) the resistance to SCG as measured by the PENT test (ASTM F1473), (2) the stress intensity of the defect from which failure originates, and (3) the temperature. A simple experiment for determining the stress intensity is presented. The equation was applied to SCG failures that are associated with the inherent random defects that occur in the wall of all pipes. The size of the inherent random defect that exists in commercial gas pipes was found to be 0.14 mm.