Flexural creep of all‐polypropylene composites: Model analysis

In this article, simple viscoelastic and empirical models are presented to predict and analyze the flexural creep behavior of all‐poly(propylene) (all‐PP) composites. Results of the successful application of these models to the actual creep behavior of unidirectional (UD) and cross‐ply (CP) all‐PP composites tested by short‐term flexural creep measurements over a temperature range of 20–80°C are presented. Analysis of the momentary creep behavior of all‐PP composites with different tape lay‐ups are made to understand their deformation mechanism. Further to the main theme of the article, an interesting discrepancy while predicting the long‐term creep behavior of these composites based on the time‐temperature superposition (TTS) principle and Findley power law model is visualized which has also been illustrated here. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers