Effect of strain rate on the mechanical properties and transition temperatures of glass-reinforced polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate

The effect of strain rate on the mechanical properties and transition temperatures and the subregions of the glassy state that the latter define has been investigated for polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate films containing various amounts of fiberglas. An inversion of the reinforcing effect of the filler is observed as the strain rate is varied at fixed temperature. Varying the temperature can also lead to an inversion of the nature of the strain-rate dependence of the strength of the reinforced polymer within the glassy state. In the low-temperature region the strength increases with decrease, and in the high-temperature region with increase in strain rate. The transition temperatures of the reinforced polymers are more sensitive than those of the unreinforced polymers to changes of strain rate. The subregions of the glassy state are almost independent of the strain rate, except that as the latter increases they are shifted into the high-temperature region.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 462–466, 1968