Mechanical Properties of Plastics and Synthetic Papers

Abstract

We have researched mechanical properties of plastic films and synthetic papers for the cryogenic applications.
These tensile properties were measured at the liquid nitrogen temperature 77k, the room temperature 300k and the medium temperature 173k.
Specimens were selected out of electrical insulating materials; 8 kinds of plastic films and 5 kinds of synthetic papers.
Consequently in plastic films polyethylene telephthalate, polypropylene and polyimide had good mechanical properties from the room temperature to the liquid nitrogen temperature. Especially polyethylene telephthalate and polypropylene showed the marvellous elongation over 40% at the liquid nitrogen temperature.
In synthetic papers polyethylene paper (Tyvek) had the better mechanical property in comparison with the other papers. It showed the elongation of 12% at 77k, although polyethylene film showed the poor elongation of 2.4% at 77k.