A polymer suitable for use in a thin film hinge (living hinge) comprising from about 0.1 to about 5 weight % of a C.sub.4-8 comonomer and the balance ethylene, said composition having a density as determined according to ASTM D 792 from about 0.945 to about 0.965 g/cm.sup.3; a melt index as determined according to ASTM D1238 (2.16 kg/190° C.) from about 10 to about 20 g/10 min; a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 45,000 to about 55,000 g/mol; a polydispersity from about 2.5 to about 3.1 and when molded into a strip having a length of about 13 cm and gross thickness from about 50 to about 70 mil (about 1 to about 2 mm) and completely bent over end to end four times to create a thinned region or crease having a thickness from about 15 to about 30 mil (about 0.3 to about 0.7 mm) tested by bending and releasing the deformed thinned region of the strip through a radius of curvature from about 180 to about 190° about a rounded plate goes through not less than 500 cycles without breaking.

A tensile testing apparatus includes a jaw actuator that is operable to grip and pull a specimen in tension and a specimen cartridge the holds multiple specimens and that is operable to rotate and sequentially present specimens to the jaw actuator.

A fastener testing system includes a vibration testing apparatus including a test station and a preparation station. The preparation station is configured to have a plurality of test pieces sequentially assembled therein. The test station is configured to sequentially receive and vibrate each assembled test pieces of the plurality of test pieces.

A polymer suitable for use in a thin film hinge (living hinge) comprising from about 0.1 to about 5 weight % of a C.sub.4-8 comonomer and the balance ethylene, said composition having a density as determined according to ASTM D 792 from about 0.945 to about 0.965 g/cm.sup.3; a melt index as determined according to ASTM D1238 (2.16 kg/190° C.) from about 10 to about 20 g/10 min; a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 45,000 to about 55,000 g/mol; a polydispersity from about 2.5 to about 3.1 and when molded into a strip having a length of about 13 cm and gross thickness from about 50 to about 70 mil (about 1 to about 2 mm) and completely bent over end to end four times to create a thinned region or crease having a thickness from about 15 to about 30 mil (about 0.3 to about 0.7 mm) tested by bending and releasing the deformed thinned region of the strip through a radius of curvature from about 180 to about 190° about a rounded plate goes through not less than 500 cycles without breaking.

Methods and apparatus to control staging of test specimens. Disclosed example systems to perform automated testing include: a stage configured to secure one or more test specimens; one or more actuators configured to position the stage and the one or more test specimens; a user interface configured to: receive input defining a test sequence of a plurality of points to be tested on the one or more test specimens; display a graphic indicative of positions of the plurality of points on the one or more test specimens and one or more paths to be taken by the stage to traverse the plurality of points during testing of the test sequence; and control circuitry configured to control a test process of the test sequence in accordance with the plurality of points and the one or more paths.

A polymer suitable for use in a thin film hinge (living hinge) comprising from about 0.1 to about 5 weight % of a C.sub.4-8 comonomer and the balance ethylene, said composition having a density as determined according to ASTM D 792 from about 0.945 to about 0.965 g/cm.sup.3; a melt index as determined according to ASTM D1238 (2.16 kg/190 C.) from about 10 to about 20 g/10 min; a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 45,000 to about 55,000 g/mol; a polydispersity from about 2.5 to about 3.1 and when molded into a strip having a length of about 13 cm and gross thickness from about 50 to about 70 mil (about 1 to about 2 mm) and completely bent over end to end four times to create a thinned region or crease having a thickness from about 15 to about 30 mil (about 0.3 to about 0.7 mm) tested by bending and releasing the deformed thinned region of the strip through a radius of curvature from about 180 to about 190 about a rounded plate goes through not less than 500 cycles without breaking.

A polymer suitable for use in a thin film hinge (living hinge) comprising from about 0.1 to about 5 weight % of a C.sub.4-8 comonomer and the balance ethylene, said composition having a density as determined according to ASTM D 792 from about 0.945 to about 0.965 g/cm.sup.3; a melt index as determined according to ASTM D1238 (2.16 kg/190 C.) from about 10 to about 20 g/10 min; a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 45,000 to about 55,000 g/mol; a polydispersity from about 2.5 to about 3.1 and when molded into a strip having a length of about 13 cm and gross thickness from about 50 to about 70 mil (about 1 to about 2 mm) and completely bent over end to end four times to create a thinned region or crease having a thickness from about 15 to about 30 mil (about 0.3 to about 0.7 mm) tested by bending and releasing the deformed thinned region of the strip through a radius of curvature from about 180 to about 190 about a rounded plate goes through not less than 500 cycles without breaking.

Polyethylene living hinges used in snap top lids for condiments and the like may be electron bean irradiated to partially crosslink the polyethylene to produce a hinge having an improvement in the number of opening and closing cycles until failure of not less than 30%. The irradiated lids may be used in place of polypropylene lids for condiment containers.

Polyethylene living hinges used in snap top lids for condiments and the like may be electron bean irradiated to partially crosslink the polyethylene to produce a hinge having an improvement in the number of opening and closing cycles until failure of not less than 30%. The irradiated lids may be used in place of polypropylene lids for condiment containers.

A polymer suitable for use in a thin film hinge (living hinge) comprising from about 0.1 to about 5 weight % of a C.sub.4-8 comonomer and the balance ethylene, said composition having a density as determined according to ASTM D 792 from about 0.945 to about 0.965 g/cm.sup.3; a melt index as determined according to ASTM D1238 (2.16 kg/190 C.) from about 10 to about 20 g/10 min; a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 45,000 to about 55,000 g/mol; a polydispersity from about 2.5 to about 3.1 and when molded into a strip having a length of about 13 cm and gross thickness from about 50 to about 70 mil (about 1 to about 2 mm) and completely bent over end to end four times to create a thinned region or crease having a thickness from about 15 to about 30 mil (about 0.3 to about 0.7 mm) tested by bending and releasing the deformed thinned region of the strip through a radius of curvature from about 180 to about 190 about a rounded plate goes through not less than 500 cycles without breaking.