Erk, K. A., & Nash, J. J., & Woods, H. K. (2016, June), Using Mechanical Testing of Disposable Plastic Cups to Illustrate Processing-Structure-Property Relationships in an Introductory Materials Laboratory Course  Paper presented at 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana. 10.18260/p.27150

\bibitem{asee_peer_27150}
  Erk, K. A., \& Nash, J. J., \& Woods, H. K. (2016, June), \emph{Using Mechanical Testing of Disposable Plastic Cups to Illustrate Processing-Structure-Property Relationships in an Introductory Materials Laboratory Course}
  Paper presented at 2016 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana.
  10.18260/p.27150

Kendra A.  Erk, Jerome Jamal Nash, and Hannah K. Woods.  "Using Mechanical Testing of Disposable Plastic Cups to Illustrate Processing-Structure-Property Relationships in an Introductory Materials Laboratory Course".  2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2016, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2016.  https://peer.asee.org/27150 Internet.  30 Jul, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_27150}
  Kendra A.  Erk, Jerome Jamal Nash, and Hannah K. Woods.
  "Using Mechanical Testing of Disposable Plastic Cups to Illustrate Processing-Structure-Property Relationships in an Introductory Materials Laboratory Course".
  \emph{2016 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2016, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2016.
  https://peer.asee.org/27150 Internet.  30 Jul, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_27150
author = "Kendra A.  Erk, Jerome Jamal Nash, and Hannah K. Woods"
title = "Using Mechanical Testing of Disposable Plastic Cups to Illustrate Processing-Structure-Property Relationships in an Introductory Materials Laboratory Course"
booktitle = "2016 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2016"
month = "June"
address = "New Orleans, Louisiana"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/27150}
number = {10.18260/p.27150}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - A hands-on activity was implemented in a sophomore-level materials engineering laboratory to illustrate how the structure and properties of polymeric materials are directly influenced by the method of processing. The mechanical properties of specimens cut from the walls of poly(ethylene terephthalate) cups, oriented parallel and perpendicular to the thermoforming direction, were measured in tension. The parallel sample displayed greater elastic moduli, yield stress, and predominantly ductile deformation behavior compared to the relatively weaker and more brittle perpendicular sample. This observed mechanical anisotropy was related to the processing-induced orientation of polymer molecules within the cup. Students’ learning outcomes were assessed and it was found that processing-structure-property relationships were communicated most effectively by encouraging the students to describe their ideas through molecular-scale sketches and further challenging them to design their own hypothesis-driven experiments as compared to a traditionally prescribed lab activity.

AU  - Kendra A.  Erk
AU  - Jerome Jamal Nash
AU  - Hannah K. Woods
CY  - New Orleans, Louisiana
DA  - 2016/06/26
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Using Mechanical Testing of Disposable Plastic Cups to Illustrate Processing-Structure-Property Relationships in an Introductory Materials Laboratory Course
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/27150
DO  - 10.18260/p.27150
ER  -