Changes in properties and the internal structure of polyethylene polymer railway sleepers
 
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1
DB Cargo Polska S.A. Polnad
 
2
Politechnika Śląska, Wydział Transportu i Inżynierii Lotniczej, Katedra Transportu Kolejowego, Poland
 
 
Submission date: 2023-07-11
 
 
Final revision date: 2024-01-23
 
 
Acceptance date: 2024-02-06
 
 
Online publication date: 2024-04-11
 
 
Publication date: 2024-04-11
 
 
Corresponding author
Łukasz Wierzbicki   

Politechnika Śląska, Wydział Transportu i Inżynierii Lotniczej, Katedra Transportu Kolejowego, Poland
 
 
 
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ABSTRACT
Elements of the railway infrastructure are subject to difficult weather conditions, as well as changing dynamic loads resulting from the operation of a given part of the infrastructure. The following article presents an analysis of the internal macro and microstructure of a polymer railway sleeper made of reinforced polyethylene. The aim of the research was to obtain the results of structure, analysis of hardness measurements and identification of structure inconsistencies and the presence of other structural components in recycled polyethylene substrates. In terms of the tested material properties of the polyethylene sleepers, no significant changes in strength and plastic stability were found for the samples made of polyethylene tested before and after exposure to varying atmospheric conditions in the climatic chamber.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks go to DB Cargo Polska S.A. for their help in obtaining material for the tests and their general assistance. Some of the investigations presented in the paper were performed in the “Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Polymer Materials and Dyes”. Special thanks are going to Phd. Błażej Chmielnicki.
 
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