Void interaction and coalescence in polymeric materials

Beyond pressure-sensitivity, plastic deformation of glassy polymers exhibits intrinsic softening followed by progressive rehardening at large strains. This highly nonlinear stress–strain behavior is captured by a constitutive model introduced in this work. In the first part of the paper, we focus on void growth and coalescence in an axisymmetric representative material volume consisting of a single large void and a population of discrete microvoids. Our study shows that microvoid cavitation, enhanced by strain softening, accelerates the process of void coalescence resulting in brittle-like failure at lowered stresses and strains. Pressure-sensitivity also reduces stress-carrying capacity as well as influences the strain for void coalescence; plastic dilatancy effects are relatively milder. In the second part of the paper, we introduce a population of discrete spherical voids within a three-dimensional computational model to study void growth and damage ahead of a crack front. Our studies reveal a distinctive change in the deformed void shape from oblate to prolate when strain softening is followed by high rehardening at large plastic strains. By contrast, an extended strain softening regime promotes oblacity and facilitates multiple void interaction and their cooperative growth over large distances ahead of the crack front. This multi-void failure mechanism is exacerbated by pressure-sensitivity.