Cavitation and cavity-free deformation of filled crystalline polymer systems

Main mechanisms of tough response of polymers are described. In heterogeneous polymer systems due to mechanical misfit between heterogeneities and the matrix a high negative pressure (tri-axial stress) is generated. The excessive negative pressure is the main reason of material cavitation. Cavitation appears to be another mechanism of tough response of the material to loading. Cavitation is a massive phenomenon in crystalline polymers and in all filled polymers. Cavitation itself does not consume much energy but allows for further toughening by activating other mechanisms. Examples of polypropylene filled with chalk modified by liquid, rubber and mineral filled polypropylene and syndiotactic polypropylene filled with chalk are described. Modes of deformation with significant compressive component of stress prevents for cavitation. Materials deformed in a cavity-free manner show much higher strength. It is pointed out that high polymer crystal anisotropy is necessary for the formation of a network of easy crystallographic slip in the unusual toughening of highly filled polymers observed recently. An example of syndiotactic polypropylene filled with submicro-chalk particles is presented.