Experimental investigation of the low cycle fatigue crack propagation in PC/ABS polymer blends

Low cycle fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behavior of two PC/ABS blends with a weight ratio of PC to ABS being 80/20 and 60/40, respectively, is investigated. Experiments are carried out by using standard compact tension (CT) specimens. The fracture surfaces are examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). It is shown that the FCP resistance of PC/ABS blend with 20% ABS particles is higher than that of PC/ABS blend with 40% ABS particles. It is found that proper ABS particle content can result in the toughening of PC/ABS blends through particle cavitation and shear yielding in matrix. Project supported by the Excellent Young Teachers Program and the Research Foundation for Doctoral Project of the Ministry of Education of China.     

图像相关法在高分子材料拉伸性能研究中的应用

本文对聚碳酸酯(PC)和丙烯腈丁二烯苯乙烯(ABS)的合金(PC/ABS)高分子材料不同环境温度下的拉伸性能进行了试验研究。根据图像相关分析法编制了图像法位移测量分析软件,并对该分析软件的适用性进行了分析。系统研究了PC/ABS高分子材料拉伸试验时三个方向的位移场和应变场。根据测得的位移场研究了该高分子材料拉伸过程中应变和应变率的变化以及应力应变变化规律,并对试验结果进行了详细分析。结果表明,文中采用的图像法位移测量系统具有较高的测试精度;拉伸过程中,试件厚度方向的收缩变形大于宽度方向的收缩变形;颈缩过程区具有非常高的应变率,颈缩后的平直颈缩区的应变率快速下降到一个很低的应变率继续缓慢变形;尽管载荷位移曲线出现了较大的载荷下降现象,PC/ABS拉伸时的真应力应变曲线没有明显的应力下降现象出现,因此,载荷下降现象主要由颈缩时的截面减小引起;高分子材料PC/ABS的屈服应力随环境温度的升高而降低。     

Effect of triaxial stress constraint on the deformation and fracture of polymers

One purpose of this paper is to give a brief overview on the research status of deformation, fracture and toughening mechanisms of polymers, including experimental, theoretical and numerical studies. Emphasis is on the more recent progresses of micromechanics of rubber particle cavitation and crazing, and the development of fracture criteria for ductile polymers. The other purpose is to study the effect of triaxial stress constraint on the deformation and fracture behavior of polymers. Polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile-butadienestyrene (ABS) and PC/ABS alloy are considered in this investigation. A series of circumferentially blunt-notched bars are used to experimentally generate different triaxial stress fields. The fracture surfaces of specimens with different notch radius are examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) to study the fracture and toughening mechanisms of polymer alloy. It is shown that the triaxial stress constraint has a significant effect on the deformation, fracture and toughening of PC, ABS and PC/ABS alloy. We will also discuss the extent to which a micromechanics criterion proposed by the first author can serve as a fracture criterion for ductile polymers. A new ductile fracture parameter is emphasized, which can be employed to evaluate the fracture ductility of polymers. Stress state independence of the parameter for the PC, ABS and PC/ABS alloy has been experimentally verified. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10125212), the Trans-Century Training Program Foundation and the Key Research Fund of the Education Ministry of China (01159)     

Stress relaxation behavior of co-continuous PS/PMMA blends after step shear strain

Stress relaxation probing on the immiscible blends is an attractive route to reveal the time-dependent morphology–viscoelasticity correlations under/after flow. However, a comprehensive understanding on the stress relaxation of co-continuous blends, especially after subjected to a shear strain, is still lacking. In this work, the stress relaxation behavior of co-continuous polystyrene/poly(methyl methacrylate) (50/50) blends with different annealing times, strain levels, and temperatures was examined under step shear strain and was correlated with the development of their morphologies. It was found that co-continuous blends display a fast relaxation process which corresponded to the relaxation of bulk polymer and a second slower relaxation process due to the recovery of co-continuous morphology. The stress relaxation rates of co-continuous blends tend to decrease due to the coarsening of instable co-continuous structure during annealing. Furthermore, the stress relaxation of the co-continuous blends is strongly affected by the change of viscosity and interfacial tension caused by the temperature. The contribution of morphological coarsening, viscosity, and interfacial tension variation on the stress relaxation behavior of co-continuous blends was discussed based on the Lee–Park model and time–temperature superposition principle, respectively.     

On modes and criteria of ABS melt failure in extension

Melt failure of a commercial ABS polymer in uniaxial extension over ranges of elongation rate ([(e)\dot] = 0.01 - 1.0 s ^{- 1}\dot \varepsilon = 0.01 - 1.0\,{\rm s}^{ - 1} ) and temperature (140-200 °C) was investigated. Four methods of experimental and numerical calculation for determination of modes and criteria of melt failure in uniaxial extension were investigated: 1) visual observation of necking; 2) visual observation of non-uniform flow during stress relaxation after cessation of steady elongation; 3) calculation of the Considère criterion from the measured elongational stress-strain curve; 4) numerical calculation of inflection point (‘C²/‘)²=0) from the tensile stress-strain curve. In addition, under higher Deborah number conditions the critical Hencky strains at Considère criterion were calculated using PSM model parameters (! and #) and were compared with those obtained from the measured elongational stress-strain curve. The relationship between these failure modes is discussed in terms of rheological properties of the polymer, putting emphasis on the relationship with the thermoforming process. The Considère criterion appears to be the most effective indicator of the non-uniform deformation of ABS melt in uniaxial extension under conditions where cohesive fracture does not occur. The rheological properties such as elongational viscosity, strain hardening and/or strain softening, and their temperature dependence play an important role in determining the growth and transition of melt failure of ABS polymer in uniaxial extension.     

Three-dimensional micromechanical modeling of voided polymeric materials

A three-dimensional micromechanical unit cell model for particle-filled materials is presented. The cell model is based on a Voronoi tessellation of particles arranged on a body-centered cubic (BCC) array. The three-dimensionality of the present cell model enables the study of several deformation modes, including uniaxial, plane strain and simple shear deformations, as well as arbitrary principal stress states.The unit cell model is applied to studies on the micromechanical and macromechanical behavior of rubber-toughened polycarbonate. Different load cases are examined, including plane strain deformation, simple shear deformation and principal stress states. For a constant macroscopic strain rate, the different load cases show that the macroscopic flow strength of the blend decreases with an increase in void volume fraction, as expected. The main mechanism for plastic deformation is broad shear banding across inter-particle ligaments. The distributed nature of plastic straining acts to reduce the amount of macroscopic strain softening in the blend as the initial void volume fraction is increased. In the case of plane strain deformation, the plastic flow is observed to initiate across inter-particle ligaments in the direction of constraint. This particular mode of deformation could not have been captured using a two-dimensional, plane strain idealization of cylindrical voids in a matrix.The potential for localized crazing and/or cavitation in the matrix is addressed. It is observed that the introduction of voids acts to relieve hydrostatic stress in the matrix material, compared to the homopolymer. It is also seen that the predicted peak hydrostatic stress in the matrix is higher under plane strain deformation than under triaxial tension (with equal lateral stresses), for the same macroscopic stress triaxiality.The effect of void volume fraction on the macroscopic uniaxial tension behavior of the different blends is examined using a Considère construction for dilatant materials. The natural draw ratio was predicted to decrease with an increase in void volume fraction.     

基于有限变形单晶塑性滑移的微观热-力耦合模型及其有限元计算

基于率相关的晶体塑性滑移理论,论文考虑晶体内部塑性变形产生的热以及快速热冲击作用下温度急剧变化产生热应力的热-力双向耦合效应,建立起微观单晶的瞬态热-弹-塑性耦合模型,推导出与温度有关的剪应变率和弹塑性切模量公式.根据论文建立的模型,对ABAQUS软件进行二次开发[1],数值模拟出<001>/{100}单晶Cu在单轴拉伸状态下的应力、应变与温度的关系和弹性模量的变化,结果如下:轴向应力随温度升高先呈线性增加再呈非线性减小,轴向应变随温度增加而增加;弹性模量随塑性变形的增加而降低,与分子动力学模拟的趋势[2]是一致的.数值实验表明,论文建立的模型和算法是正确合理的,且计算量远远小于分子动力学模拟.     

Hardening evolution of AZ31B Mg sheet

The monotonic and cyclic mechanical behavior of O-temper AZ31B Mg sheet was measured in large-strain tension/compression and simple shear. Metallography, acoustic emission (AE), and texture measurements revealed twinning during in-plane compression and untwinning upon subsequent tension, producing asymmetric yield and hardening evolution. A working model of deformation mechanisms consistent with the results and with the literature was constructed on the basis of predominantly basal slip for initial tension, twinning for initial compression, and untwinning for tension following compression. The activation stress for twinning is larger than that for untwinning, presumably because of the need for nucleation. Increased accumulated hardening increases the twin nucleation stress, but has little effect on the untwinning stress. Multiple-cycle deformation tends to saturate, with larger strain cycles saturating more slowly. A novel analysis based on saturated cycling was used to estimate the relative magnitude of hardening effects related to twinning. For a 4% strain range, the obstacle strength of twins to slip is 3 MPa, approximately 1/3 the magnitude of textural hardening caused by twin formation (10 MPa). The difference in activation stress of twinning versus untwinning (11 MPa) is of the same magnitude as textural hardening.     

Lüders bands propagation of 1045 steel under multiaxial stress state

Inhomogeneous plastic deformation of 1045 steel under monotonic loading was experimentally studied. Thin-walled tubular specimens were used in the experiments and custom-made small strain gages were bonded on the specimen surface to characterize the local deformation. Experiments were conducted under tension, torsion, and combined tension–torsion. During the propagation of Lüders bands, the local deformation experienced two-stage deformation: an abrupt plastic deformation stage followed by a slower deformation process. In some area of the gage section of the specimen, a small amount of initial plastic deformation occurred before the Lüders front reached. During the propagation of Lüders bands, multiple Lüders fronts can be formed. Under tension, torsion, and combined tension–torsion with a constant axial load, the Lüders front was approximately parallel to the material plane of maximum shear stress. When the combined axial-torsion followed a proportional fashion, the stress–extensometer strain responses were dependent on the axial/torsional loading ratio, and the Lüders fronts were oriented differently and propagated along the specimen axis at a different velocity. The local strain was inhomogeneous even at the work-hardening stage. The relationships between the equivalent stress and the equivalent plastic strain were found to be practically identical for all the loading cases studied.     

Rheological,morphological, and interfacial properties of compatibilized PLA/PBAT blends

The focus of this paper was to gain a true understanding of the impact of a multifunctional epoxide (Joncryl®;ADR-4368) on the interfacial properties of biopolymer blends based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT). The effect of Joncryl on the shear rheological, morphological, and interfacial properties of the blends was systematically investigated. For the deformed drop retraction experiments, different sandwich model systems (droplet/matrix), representing various scenarios of compatibilization, were prepared, aiming to probe the role of the epoxy-functionalized chains on the interface. The decrease of the interfacial tension in the modified/compatibilized PLA_PBAT and the formation of the PLA-Joncryl-PBAT copolymer were highlighted. A new relaxation peak relative to this copolymer was detected by the relaxation spectrum. Transient start-up shear and nonlinear stress relaxation experiments were carried out and confirmed the obtained results. In addition, the interface contribution was demonstrated using the Lee and Park model. The relaxation time increased with the amount of added Joncryl. Hence, the coexistence of chain extension/branching chains coupled to the PLA-Joncryl-PBAT copolymer formation had to be taken into account to explain the improved mechanical properties.     

Law of damage accumulation and fracture criteria in highly filled polymer materials

We present the results of a large series of experiments aimed at the study of laws of damage accumulation and fracture in highly filled polymer materials under loading conditions of various types: monotone, repeated, low- and high-cycle, with varying type of stress state, dynamic (in general, more than 50 programs implemented on specimens from one lot of material). The data obtained in these test allow one to make conclusions about the constitutive role of the attained maximum of strain intensity when estimating the accumulated damage in the process of uniaxial tension by various programs (in particular, an additional cyclic deformation below the preliminary attained strain maximum does not affect the limit values of strain and stress in the subsequent active extension), about the strong influence of the stress state on the deformation and fracture, about the specific features of the nonlinear behavior of the material under the shock loading conditions and its influence on the repeated deformation. All tests are described (with an accuracy acceptable in practical calculations, both with respect to stresses and strains in the process of loading and at the moment of fracture) in the framework of the same model of nonlinear viscoelasticity with the same set of constants. The constants of the proposed model are calculated according to a relatively simple algorithm by using the results of standard uniaxial tension tests with constant values of the strain rate and hydrostatic pressure (each test for 2–3 levels of these parameters chosen from the ranges proposed in applications, each loading lasts until the fracture occurs, and one of the tests contains an intermediate interval of total loading and repeated loading) and one axial shock compression test if there are dynamic problems in the applications. The model is based on the use of the criterion fracture parameter which, in the class of proportional loading processes, is the sum of partial increments of the strain intensity on active segments of the process (where the strain intensity is at its historical maximum) with the form of the stress state and the intensity of strain rates taken into account.     

Effects of compatibilization on rheological properties of PS/PB blends and investigation of Doi–Ohta scaling relationship in double start-up of shear experiments

The rheological properties for the blends of polystyrene and polybutadiene were investigated and the effect of compatibilizer styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), on the blends were studied and the results compared with the non-compatibilized blends. The frequency sweep, step shear strain and shear stress growth experiments were carried out for the blends. The results showed that with addition of compatibilizer the changes in behavior of the rheological properties of blends are observed. These rheological variations could be related to the reduction of interfacial tension and size of dispersed phase. Furthermore, the validity of Doi–Ohta scaling relationship in double start-up experiments was studied. It is shown that this scaling relationship becomes more reliable with increasing the amount of PB and compatibilizer.     

Mechanical response and texture evolution of AZ31 alloy at large strains for different strain rates and temperatures

In order to study the behavior of material under finite deformation at various strain rates, the responses of AZ31 Mg sheet are measured under uniaxial (tension and compression) and multiaxial (simple shear) loadings along rolling direction (RD), 45° to rolling direction (DD), 90° to rolling direction (TD), and normal to the sheet (ND) to large strains. The material exhibits positive strain rate sensitivity (SRS) at room and elevated temperatures; the SRS is more pronounced at high temperatures and lower strain rates. The r-value of the material under tensile loading at room temperatures is higher in TD at lower strain rate. Texture measurements on several failed specimens are reported under tension and simple shear after finite plastic deformation of about 20% equivalent strain. The as-received material exhibits a strong fiber with equal fractions of grains having the c-axis slightly tilted away from the sheet normal towards both +RD and −RD. Pole figures obtained after tensile loading along the rolling direction (RD) show that the texture of the material strengthens even at low strains, with c-axis perpendicular to the sheet plane and prism planes lining up in a majority of grains. However, the tensile loading axis along TD does not lead to similar texture strengthening; the c-axis distribution appears to be virtually unchanged from the virgin state. The pole figures obtained after in-plane compression along RD brings the c-axes of the grains parallel to the loading direction. The pole figures after simple shear loading show that the c-axis rotates to lie on the sheet plane consistent with a compression axis 45° away on the sheet plane.     

Numerical simulation for the simple shear test in amorphous glassy polymers

In this paper, a driving stress finite element method of elastic-plastic large deformation based on implicit time integrating algorithm and an eight-chain molecular network model is used for the numerical simulation of the simple shear test of polycarbonate (PC) materials. The simulated results are compared with experimental ones. The strain localization propagation for the shear band deformation for simple shear deformation is investigated numerically. The effects of microstructure parameters in the model on strain softening and orientation hardening of the PC are discussed in detail. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

基于试验与有限元耦合技术的延性材料全程单轴本构关系获取方法

摘 要: 材料拉伸直至断裂的全程单轴本构关系对材料大变形和断裂机理研究具有重要意义。传统拉伸试验获取的材料真应力-真应变曲线在试样颈缩后不可测。借助可以精确测量三维变形的DIC(Digital image correlate) 技术和有限元分析技术(Finite element analysis),本文提出了基于漏斗试样拉伸试验获取材料全程单轴本构关系的新方法,即TF(Test and FEA)方法。该方法将TF方法获取的材料全程单轴应力应变关系曲线作为有限元软件中的材料本构关系对漏斗试样拉伸变形过程进行模拟,其模拟载荷-位移曲线、漏斗根部直径-位移曲线和漏斗变形轮廓线等均与试验结果吻合良好,试样表面模拟应变也与DIC测试结果吻合, 根据不同半径漏斗试样模拟获得的全程真应力-真应变曲线保持良好一致性。最后,还对试样颈缩断面的力学行为进行了讨论,并给出了304不锈钢、汽轮机叶片材料2Cr12Ni4Mo3VNBN和 1Gr12Ni3Mo2VN、汽轮机转子材料30Cr2Ni4MoV的全程单轴本构关系模型参数、破断应力和破断应变。     

Novel tensile-testing machine for plastic film

A novel tensile-testing machine has been manufactured by which the true stress-strain relation of a transparent plastic film at different rates of strain can be obtained by an optical means. The stress can be measured by the deformation of a spring setup, parallel with the specimen. Both the strain of the specimen and the deformation of the spring are, at the same time, photographed by a cylindrical lens placed on a rotating drum which is synchronized with the rate of tension. Therefore, various thin plastic films can be actually applied to this tensile-testing machine by which the states of rheological flow and phenomena of rupture can be determined accurately.