The relative influences of molecular structure on brittle fracture by fatigue and under constant load in polyethylenes.

The article focuses on the effects of the resistance to failure under an oscillating load, fatigue, and constant load (CL) presented in linear polyethylenes. It says that the effects of fatigue and CL on brittle fracture are compared with the relative influence of the molecular structure such as the molecular weight and branching. It adds that the molecular weight has relatively greater influence on fatigue, while branching is significant under CL.