Degradation study of CPVC pipe subjected to bursting tests and prediction of service life

Thermoplastic pipes made from chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) can undergo varying degrees of degradation due to extreme fluctuations in pressure and temperature. This underscores the importance of controlling their mechanical properties and identifying potential failures before they occur. The present research focuses on evaluating damage in CPVC pipes using deterministic methods, such as damage and reliability analysis. To assess the degradation of these pipes, experimental tests were conducted to determine the mechanical factors influencing their performance. Specifically, burst pressures and times were recorded during the tests. Additionally, analytical damage models were developed based on modified and simplified versions of the unified stress and strain theory, static damage models, and the unified theory of damage. By applying the principles of the unified damage theory, the evolution of life fractions as a function of burst pressures was tracked for both blank and notched pipes.