Day 29: Mechanical Behavior

of Polymers

Review
How are Properties Defined
Introduction to Viscoelasticity
Simple Material Models
Strain Rate and Temperature Effects

Review
Basic definitions: thermoplastic,
thermoset, elastomer.
Lets talk about the kind of mechanical
behavior seen in polymers.
1. Stiffness, E
2. Strength
3. Ductility

Factors which can determine the

strength of a polymer.

Mechanical Properties

i.e. stress-strain behavior of polymers

brittle polymer
FS of polymer ca. 10% that of metals

plastic
elastomer
elastic modulus
less than metal

Strains deformations > 1000% possible

(for metals, maximum strain ca. 10% or
less)

Adapted from Fig. 15.1,

Callister 7e.

Tensile Properties for

Polymers

T and Strain Rate: Thermoplastics

Decreasing T...

-- increases E
-- increases TS
-- decreases %EL
Increasing
strain rate...

-- same effects
as decreasing T.

(MPa)
80

4C

60

20C

40

Data for the

semicrystalline
polymer: PMMA
(Plexiglas)

40C

20
60C
0

0.1

0.2

to 1.3
0.3

Adapted from Fig. 15.3, Callister 7e. (Fig. 15.3 is from T.S. Carswell and
J.K. Nason, 'Effect of Environmental Conditions on the Mechanical
Properties of Organic Plastics", Symposium on Plastics, American Society
for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, PA, 1944.)

Effects of Strain Rate and

Temperature
stress
Increasing
strain rate

Increasing temp

strain

Time Temp for Delrin (Strain

Rate)

http://www2.dupont.com/Plast
ics/en_US/assets/downloads/d
esign/230323c.pdf

Time Temp for Delrin (Strain Rate and

Temp)

http://www2.dupont.com/Plast
ics/en_US/assets/downloads/d
esign/230323c.pdf

Time Temp Dependence

Plastic deformation of polymers
involves chain uncoiling and chain
sliding
Increasing temperature increases
relative space between chains and
makes uncoiling easier.
Slowing the strain rate means there is
more time for chain reconfiguration.

Introduction to
Viscoelasticity
Some features that are observed in polymeric
materials that do not seem to be noticeable in
metals or ceramics
1.Mechanical properties depend on
Temperature
2.Mechanical properties depend on Strain Rate
3.Creep (noticed in metals at high
temperatures)
4.Stress Relaxation
5.Hysteresis

Creep
Take a tension specimen made from a polymer
and and put on a series of constant stresses on it.
We observe

Creep: Progressive strain (deformation) over time at

constant stress (load), usually at high temperatures

Creep Test
We instantly load with constant stress
for a certain time, and instantly unload.
Note that both linear
elastic and viscous
fluid behaviors are
present.
Note that there seems
to be some residual
strain at the end, i.e.
the material does not
completely recover.
There is both
elasticity and

Creep of PEEK

Write down two examples

of parts that see constant
tensile or bending load.

Stress Relaxation
Think of a polymer specimen
loaded with a constant
strain.

Note that both linear

elastic and viscous
fluid behaviors are
present.
Note that there seems
to be some residual
stress at the end, i.e.
the material does not
completely recover.
There is both
Stress Relaxation: Progressive loss
of stress
(load) over
elasticity
and
time under constant strain (deformation),
usually at high
plasticity.
temperatures

Stress Relaxation of Delrin

http://www2.dupont.com/Plast
ics/en_US/assets/downloads/d
esign/230323c.pdf

Write down two examples

of parts that see constant
strain.

Effect of Temperature:
Glass Transition
Temperature
Or why does Garden
Hose behave the way it
does?

Melting vs. Glass Transition

Temp.
What factors affect Tm and
Tg?

Both Tm and Tg increase with

increasing chain stiffness
Chain stiffness increased by
1. Bulky sidegroups
2. Polar groups or
sidegroups
3. Double bonds or
aromatic chain groups
Regularity effects Tm only
Adapted from Fig. 15.18,
Callister 7e.
22

Tg and Tm

Hysteresis
Polymers often dont load and unload on
the same line on the stress-strain curve.
The difference in areas under those
curves represents energy loss (often to
heat).
This means that polymers can have
inherent energy damping.
This means plastic springs may not be
as good an idea as plastic dampers.

Load-Unload Cycle in Nylon

Hysteresis in Delrin

Takeaways
Yield and Ultimate Strength are
defined differently for polymers.
Polymers have time and temperature
dependent properties (viscoelasticity)

Creep
Stress Relaxation
T g , Tm
Hysteresis