Development of an energy-based approach for optimized frequency selection for fatigue testing on polymers - Exemplified on polyamide 6

Polymers and composite materials show temperature-dependent material properties. Therefore, the frequency resembles a critical part in fatigue testing, due to its influence on the self-heating of the polymeric material and thereby on the number of cycles to failure. The aim of this paper is the development of a testing method, which allows comparable results with varying frequencies. To minimize the self-heating effect on the fatigue behavior, a model was established for selecting optimized frequencies regarding the load-specific temperature increase of the specimen. A new energy-parameter, the induced energy-rate, was introduced and correlated to the load-specific increase in temperature in multiple and constant amplitude tests at ambient conditions. With this approach, it was possible to determine a threshold value for the newly defined induced energy-rate. A stress-specific model was developed and a limit frequency was calculated. The results were verified in multiple and constant amplitude tests and S/N-curves.