A photoviscoelastic analysis of time-dependent stresses in a polyphase system

The method of photoviscoelastic stress analysis is used to predict time-dependent stress redistributions in a polyphase-material system having a viscoelastic binder and subjected to applied exteernal-loading conditions. The polyphase-material model studied is composed of a photoviscoelastic matrix material and contains rigid inclusions and voids, thus simulating a threephase composite system. In order to perform the study, a photoviscoelastic model material is developed. An epoxy-resin system consisting primarily of Shell Epon 828 and Epon 871, optimized to display the properties desirable for such application, is utilized. The time-dependent stess distributions obtained by the photoviscoelastic analysis are compared with results obtained by applying the “correspondence rule” to a finite-element solution for the elastic stress field of a mathematical model of the three-phase material system. The comparison of results indicates that the technique of photoviscoelastic stress analysis is extremely applicable to complex models such as the one studied. The feasibility of this application to more complex polyphase models with varying loading conditions is indicated.