MCET 211 Group 2 Tuesday 11 AM

Section: 01 Water Absorption

MCET 211

Materials in Engineering Design Lab

Water Absorption

By

Dustyn Crowley

Matt Eckert

Patricia Delph

For

Prof. Michael J. Parthum Jr.

Group 2
Date Performed: 4/11/17
Date Submitted: 4/18/17

Table of Contents

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MCET 211 Group 2 Tuesday 11 AM
Section: 01 Water Absorption

1.0 ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………... 3
2.0 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 3
2.1 Background………………………………………………………………………... 3
2.1.1 Test……………………………………………………………………….... 3
2.1.2 Materials……………………………………………………………………. 3
2.1.3 Structure - Property Relationship (theory)........................................... 4
2.2 Goals and Objectives……………………………………………………….….... 4
3.0 DESCRIPTION OF TEST…………………………………………………………… 5
3.1 Procedure…………………………………………………………………………. 5
3.2 Apparatus………………………………………………………………………...... 5
4.0 RESULTS AND ANALYSIS………………………………………………………….6
4.3 Data Products……………………………………………………………………....9
5.0 DISCUSSION………………………………………………………………………….10
6.0 CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………. 12
7.0 APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………………. 13
Raw Data…...………….…………………………………………………………….... 13
Reference…….……….……………………...………………………………………. 15
Group Activity Report….…………………………………………………………….... 16

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MCET 211 Group 2 Tuesday 11 AM
Section: 01 Water Absorption

1.0 ABSTRACT
Abstract
Polymers can be susceptible to water absorption which can cause a decrease in some
mechanical properties. In this lab, Nylon 6,6 (Hylon N1000 EHL) and Polypropylene (Profax
SV258) were both subjected to different moisture environments and then mechanically tested.
In doing this we were able to determine how water absorption affects polymers properties and
also which polymers had higher percent water absorption. It was determined in this lab that
polymers that were subjected to wet or even slightly humid environments displayed lower
mechanical properties (See results). Nylon in particular showed much lower properties when
wet than when it was dry. The reason for this is because Nylon has hydrogen bonding occur in
water which means it will absorb more water than just a semi-crystalline might normally. The
more water the polymer absorbs the weaker it becomes. Another characteristic of water
absorption is that the material has much less dimensional stability than it would if it absorbed no
water. When a polymer absorbs water, it must make space for the water molecules and
therefore expands. When working with materials that can absorb water it is important to think of
the application they are used in and whether the material is the right one. Not all polymers will
absorb water, and therefore, for dimensional stability at least, it may be better to use an
amorphous material. Polypropylene doesn’t absorb as much water since it is not made of
polyimides and therefore doesn’t have the hydrogen bonds. It will still absorb some atmospheric
moisture due to the semi-crystalline structure.

2.0 INTRODUCTION:
2.1 Background
2.1.1 Test
In this lab Nylon 6, 6 (Hylon N1000 EHL) and Polypropylene (Profax SV258) were both
tested at varying moisture conditions. Three samples of Nylon were tested; Nylon dried in a
desiccating drier for 24 hours, Nylon exposed to regular lab conditions (50% RH) for six months,
and Nylon exposed to water since 4/6. Two samples of PP were tested; one sample with no
water exposure, but in the lab environment, and the other exposed to water since 4/6. All
samples of both plastics went through tensile testing (ASTM D 638) and hardness testing
(Shore D). Each group was responsible for a different plastic sample and data was collected
during class by one group. From there, groups could find data from MyCourses and all groups
could begin analysis.
2.1.2 Materials
The materials used for Water Absorption Testing were Nylon 6,6 (Hylon N100 EHL) and
PP, Polypropylene (Profax SV258). The nylon plastic is a synthetic thermoplastic polymer which
is made of polyamide that is linked by peptide bonds. It has high mold resistance, fungi
resistance, and sunlight resistance, weather resistance, wearproof, and waterproof, also strong,
tough, and durable. It is widely used for stocking, machine gears, tennis rackets, parachutes
and toothbrush. Nylon 6,6 was break into three different specimens. First specimen is Nylon that
are dried in a desiccating drier for 24 hours in 180℉ with -65℉ dew point and the water
absorption of dried Nylon is approximately 0 wt.% water. Second specimen is Nylon with no
water exposure but exposed to lab environment at approximately 50% RH for more than six
months and the water absorption is about 0.8 wt.% water. And third specimen is Nylon that were
exposed to liquid water for 5 to six days and the water absorption is more than 0.8 wt.% water.

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Section: 01 Water Absorption

Figure 1: Chemical Structure of Nylon 6,63

The PP plastic is a linear hydrocarbon polymer which is a polyolefin. It has good

chemical resistance, good fatigue resistance, good heat resistance, tough, low density,
excellent electrical resistance. It is widely used for buckets, bowls, toys, medical components,
washing machine drum, battery cases, crates, bumpers, jug kettles, packages for biscuits, crisp,
etc., carpets and sport clothing. PP was break into two different specimens. First specimen is
PP with no water exposure but exposed to lab environment at approximately 50% RH for more
than six months and the water absorption is about 0 wt.% water. Second specimen is PP that
were exposed to liquid water for 5 to six days and the water absorption is approximately 0 wt.%
water.

Figure 2: Chemical Structure of PP (Polypropylene)6

2.1.3 Structure –Property relationship (theory)

Some polymers have the tendency to absorb water. Nylon is a good polymer to look
at when observing water absorption in polymers. It is a polyamide semi-crystalline polymer
which means it has the opportunity to have hydrogen bonding occur as well as the space for
water molecules to become entrapped. Nylon 6,6 can absorb up to 9.5% of its weight in
water. PP can also absorb water due to its semi-crystalline structure, but to a much lesser
degree than Nylon due to the lack of Hydrogen bonds.

2.2 Goals and Objectives:

The goal of this lab was to determine the difference, if any, water absorption makes
on plastics mechanical properties. Nylon 6, 6 and Polypropylene were both put in different
moisture environments for varying amounts of time. Through hardness testing (Shore D) and
tensile testing (2in/min ASTM D 638) we were able to identify the materials that were and
were not affected by moisture. Some materials will not absorb any or little moisture and one
of our objectives in this process was to determine which one would and which would not.

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MCET 211 Group 2 Tuesday 11 AM
Section: 01 Water Absorption

3.0 DESCRIPTION OF TEST

3.1 Procedure
Each specimen, nine of Nylon and six of PP, were tested for water absorption.
First three of Nylon were dried by desiccating drier for 24 hours in 180℉ with -65℉ dew point
then one of these three were tested for their hardness by using Shore D scale and their
tensile strength at 2 in/min strain rate by using the system of ASTM D 638. Then repeat the
process with other nylons, the one that were exposed to lab environment and the one that
were exposed to liquid water. Once finished with Nylons, follow the same procedure for PP,
the one with no water exposure and the one that were exposed to liquid water.
An Instron Material Testing Machine was used for this experiment. The samples
were loaded into the machine, the load rate was set and the test was run. The machine
collected all of the data for later analysis while the samples were pulled by the load. All three
of different amount of water absorption of Nylon were tested and two different amount of
water absorption of PP also tested as well.

3.2 Apparatus

Figure 3: Durometer

The durometer machine, Model 202, is used to determine the hardness of polymers. The
scale that are used for the measurement is Scale D. This specific machine is used for
rubber, rubber-like plastics, plastics and non-metallic plastic.

Figure 4: Tensile Machine (Instron)

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Section: 01 Water Absorption

The tensile machine, Instron, is used to determine the Ultimate Tensile Strength,
Modulus of Elasticity, Yield Offset, Elongation, and the breaking point. This specific machine
is used for plastics and non-metallic polymers.

4.0 RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

Table 1: Comparison Between Machine Dried, Room Dried, and Soaked Hylon N1000 EHL (variant of Nylon 6,6)

Table 2: Comparison Between Room Dried and Soaked Profax SV258 (variant of Polypropylene)

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MCET 211 Group 2 Tuesday 11 AM
Section: 01 Water Absorption

Table 3: Comparison of Experimental to Published Values for Room Dried Hylon N1000 EHL

Table 4: Comparison of Experimental to Published Values for Room Dried Profax SV258

% Difference = ((Experimental - Published) / Baseline) *100

Figure 5: Dried Nylon (before and after Tensile testing)

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Section: 01 Water Absorption

Figure 6: Room temperature Nylon (before and after Tensile testing)

Figure 7: Soaked Nylon (before and after Tensile testing)

Figure 8: Room Temperature PP (before and after Tensile testing)

Figure 9: Soaked PP (before and after Tensile testing)

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Section: 01 Water Absorption

Figure 10: Comparison of Nylon and PP

4.3 Data Products

Graph 1: Overall Experimental Stress-Strain Graph

Per the data supplied by the tensile testing device, the ultimate tensile strength for dried
nylon was 63.26 MPa. The ultimate tensile strength of standard room nylon was 58.73 MPa.
The ultimate tensile strength of soaked nylon was 52.54 MPa.

For the polypropylene, the ultimate tensile strength of the standard room polypropylene
was 34.13 MPa. For soaked polypropylene, the ultimate tensile strength was 31.02 MPa.

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MCET 211 Group 2 Tuesday 11 AM
Section: 01 Water Absorption

5.0 DISCUSSION
Tensile and hardness tests were performed on two different polymers to quantify the
impact of water absorption, or lack thereof, on a polymer. The two polymers tested were Nylon
6,6, in the form of Hylon N1000 EHL, and polypropylene, in the form of Profax SV258. The
nylon samples were tested in three different states of dryness: machine dried, room dried, and
water soaked. The polypropylene was tested in only two states, room dried and water soaked.

The room dried nylon 6,6 specimens were selected as the baseline material condition.
In this state, the nylon 6,6 had an ultimate tensile strength of 58.73 MPa, a yield strength of 49.5
MPa, an elastic modulus of 1.48 GPa, a load at break of 1.811 GPa, and a Shore D hardness of
78.67.

Comparing the baseline nylon 6,6 specimens to the other nylon 6,6 specimens tested
allows for quantification of the impact of water absorption upon the nylon. The machine dried
nylon specimen had an ultimate tensile strength of 63.26 MPa, a yield strength of 50 MPa, a
modulus of elasticity of 1.52 GPa, a load at break of 1.818 GPa, and a Shore D hardness of 81.
All these material property values are higher than those of the baseline, ranging from 7.71%
maximum difference in ultimate tensile strength to 0.40% difference in load at break.

For the water soaked nylon sample, the ultimate tensile strength was 52.54 MPa, the
yield strength was 33 MPa, the modulus of elasticity was 1.12 GPa, the load at break was 1.492
GPa, and the Shore D hardness was 73.67. All these material properties are different from
those of the baseline, ranging from a maximum difference of 33.3% in yield strength to minimum
difference of 6.4% in hardness.

Comparing the polypropylene baseline specimen to the soaked specimen also results in
notable differences in material properties. The ultimate tensile strength of the baseline sample
was 34.13 MPa, its yield strength was 21 MPa, its modulus of elasticity was 1.13 GPa, its load
at break was 1001.89 MPa, and its Shore D hardness was 70.80. The soaked polypropylene
specimen had an ultimate tensile strength of 31.02 MPa, a yield strength of 20 MPa, a modulus
of elasticity of 1.14 GPa, a load at break of 740.13 MPa, and the Shore D hardness of 71.
Compared to the baseline specimen, the maximum material property difference noted in the
soaked polypropylene load at break, which was 26.1% different. The minimum difference noted
was Shore D hardness, which has 0.3% different.

From a molecular structure standpoint, nylon 6,6 is a semi crystalline polyamide. This
makes it excellent for abrasive applications, due to the good wear characteristics of semi
crystalline polymers. Due to the semi crystalline structure and the presence of hydrogen bonds
within the polymer, however, nylon has the tendency to absorb moisture, both from the
atmosphere and when placed in liquids. Water absorption in nylon 6,6 causes a reduction in
ultimate tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and surface hardness, while increasing impact
toughness and elongation at break. This is due to the water causing an increase of space
between the polymer chains, thereby reducing overall strength of the chains but also allowing
the chains to slide more freely.

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Section: 01 Water Absorption

Due to its molecular structure, polypropylene can be either amorphous or semi

crystalline. The orientation of the phenol groups, whether isotactic, syndiotactic, or atactic,
control the properties of the polymer. For commercial applications, the percentage of crystallinity
with the structure is carefully controlled in order to achieve the desired material properties. In
terms of water absorption, this means that polypropylene is also susceptible to water
absorption, although perhaps to a lesser degree than nylon. Water absorption causes the same
changes to the material properties of polypropylene as it does to nylon, only to a lesser degree
because only portions of the polypropylene structure are crystalline, which can absorb water,
while the rest of the structure is amorphous, which does not absorb water.

Analyzing the changes in the nylon material properties for the dried sample versus the
soaked sample, the data collected matches what is expected. The dried sample displayed
material properties which were higher than those of the baseline specimen, due to almost all the
moisture being removed from the molecular structure. Similarly, material properties for the
soaked specimen were all lower than those of the baseline, due the plastic being saturated with
moisture.

In regards to the changes noted in the polypropylene, there was a noticeable reduction
in ultimate tensile strength and load at break between the baseline and the soaked specimen.
These material property changes were much smaller than those noted in the nylon, due to a
smaller percentage of the polypropylene structure containing a semi crystalline structure.

Concerning published data, the material specifications found for the Hylon N1000 EHL
were quite accurate, displaying at most a 13% difference from published values. Finding data
for the Profax SV258, however, proved to be nearly impossible due to a lack of available data.
Yield strength was the only parameter which could be compared, and it displayed a 25%
difference between experimental and published data.

There were many potential sources of error for this lab. The most glaring issue was the
inability to properly compare the material properties for Profax SV258 with those of published
data. Not enough data is available on the material properties of Profax SV258 to determine if
this polymer was actually the one used in the tests that were performed. Next, a significant
potential source of error comes from the durometer used to measure Shore D hardness. Proper
use of this device requires a very firm application of force, which some individuals may not be
strong enough to supply. Lastly, the not enough data was collected to properly validate the
results of the testing.

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MCET 211 Group 2 Tuesday 11 AM
Section: 01 Water Absorption

6.0 CONCLUSION

In this lab, tensile and hardness testing were performed to determine the impact of water
absorption upon the material properties of Nylon 6,6, commercially known as Hylon N1000 EHL,
and polypropylene, commercially known as Profax SV258. The nylon samples were tested after
being exposed to three different environments, names those within an oven, those within the
room, and those within a water bath. The polypropylene samples were tested after being
exposed to the same conditions, sans the oven environment.

True to theory for semi crystalline polymer structures, the nylon sample exposed to
water had significantly lower material strength, modulus, and hardness values than baseline
specimen, and the specimen dried in the oven had higher values for strength, modulus, and
hardness than the baseline specimen. The same held true for the polypropylene, except that the
material characteristics were not as significantly reduced for the soaked polypropylene sample
as for the soaked nylon sample.

The changes observed in the properties of the plastics are a result of water absorption
(or water removal) from within the molecular structure. When water absorption occurs within the
polymer, the water molecules create gaps between the polymer chains, thereby reducing the
rigidity of the overall chain structure while also increasing the ability of the chains to slip past
each other. This leads to a decrease in tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and surface
hardness, which increasing impact strength. When the polymer thoroughly dried as opposed to
simply being exposed to the environment, the lack of moisture leads to a slight increase in
material properties such as tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and hardness, while also
causing a decrease in impact strength.

Error was an important factor in this lab report, originating from many possible sources.
One notable source of error was the possibility that the polypropylene used might not actually
have been polypropylene, due the lack of available published data. Another possible source of
error was the method used to collect data with the durometer, which requires a very specific
application of force to retrieve accurately. Lastly, the amount of data was not enough to
conclusively identify even the Nylon 6,6 for which there was enough published data to compare.

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MCET 211 Group 2 Tuesday 11 AM
Section: 01 Water Absorption

7.0 APPENDIX
Raw Data

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References
1. Hylon N1000 EHL Material Properties, Accessed April 17, 2017:
http://www.matweb.com/search/datasheet.aspx?matguid=171ca1f7a6e14db8b48
904aa3dffaa15
2. Convert from Rockwell M to Shore D, Accessed April 17, 2017:
http://www.matweb.com/reference/shore-hardness.aspx
3. Chemical Structure of Nylon, Accessed April 17, 2017
4. http://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=WWXFfg7t&id=472671
DED86BA80A1B82637954DADAFB084C78B0&q=chemical+structure+of+nylon+
6+6&simid=608050637567296417&selectedindex=26&mode=overlay&first=1&thi
d=OIP.WWXFfg7t8fz-ErHWSZdrDgEsBd
5. Information about Nylon, Accessed April 17, 2017
6. http://www.explainthatstuff.com/nylon.html
7. Material Properties Nylon, 6 6, Accessed April 17, 2017
http://www.pentagonplastics.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Nylon-GF.pdf
8. Chemical Structure of Polypropylene, Accessed April 17, 2017
http://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=7%2bI7XznY&id=9D9E
4137BEAF1CF88699D2BCF6A8C7E846AE4144&q=chemical+structure+of+pp&
simid=608024378131547135&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0
9. Information about PP, Accessed April 17, 2017
http://www.bpf.co.uk/Plastipedia/Polymers/PP.aspx
10. Material Properties of Polypropylene, Accessed April 17, 2017
http://www.matweb.com/search/datasheet.aspx?matguid=0b9e41983fd54215971
bcaabb7111300

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Section: 01 Water Absorption

11. Polypropylene Molecular Structure, Access April 17, 2017

http://www.essentialchemicalindustry.org/polymers/polypropene.html
12. Nylon 6,6 Molecular Structure, Accessed April 17, 2017
http://www.polymerprocessing.com/polymers/PA66.html

Group Activity Report

Dustyn Crowley did Table of Contents, Abstract, Test, Structure, Goals and Objectives,
and Reference. Matt Erckert did Results and Analysis, Data Products, Discussion, Conclusion,
Raw Data, and References. Patricia Delph did the first page of lab report, Table of Contents,
Materials and Procedure, Apparatus, Discussion, References, and Group Activities Report.

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