Effects of molding temperatures on aqueous fatigue behavior of polycarbonate

Fatigue behavior of polycarbonate was investigated to evaluate its potenitial as a material for prosthetic heart valves. Smooth and notched small cantilever specimens were injection molded using various combinations of cylinder and mold temperates. Fatigue testing was conducted in a machine specifically designed to accommodate multipe specimens inliquid environments. Results presented herein are for water immersion. The fatigue lives fell on Weibull distributions with nonzero minimum-life parameters. S-N equations were fitted at constant probabilities of failure; most of these had nonzero fatigue-limit parameters. Polycarbonate fatigue strengths, of notched spcimens particularly, were greatly influenced by cylinder and mold temperatures. Notch sensitivities varied from very low to quite high. These effects were attributed to molecular orientation and residual stresses.     

Post-buckled propagation model for compressive fatigue of impact damaged laminates

An analytical model for prediction of compressive fatigue threshold strains in composite plates with barely visible impact damage (BVID) is presented. The model represents the complex damage morphology as a single circular delamination at a critical level and calculates the strain at which thin-film buckling of the circular delaminated region occurs. The threshold strain is defined as the strain at which the strain energy release rate for the fracture of post-buckled delaminated plies along the delamination is equal to the critical Mode I value (G_1C) for the resin. The model predicts the critical through-thickness level for delamination, the stability of delamination growth and also the sensitivity to experimental error in geometric measurements of the damage area. Results obtained using the model show an agreement of fatigue strain to within 4% of experimental values for four sets of data reported in the literature.     

The recovery after bending of polycarbonate sheets

Summary The recovery after bending has been extensively studied for metal sheets. The data presented in this work show that in the case of polymeric materials viscoelastic effects play a very important role. In particular the influence of deformation rate, the time the sample is held under load and the recovery time is analysed. A master curve is obtained by proper modification of a recent analysis developed for metal sheets.With 10 figures     

Local crack tip strain behavior during fatigue crack initiation and propagation in polycarbonate

To investigate whether the two fatigue processes of crack initiation and propagation can be combined, the change of local notch root strain and its history, as well as the change of local crack tip strain and the local strain history, of a fatigued element ahead of the propagating crack tip up to failure in a polycarbonate subjected to low-cycle fatigue tests are measured by the fine grid method. As a result, the existence of a unified local strain field in which the two fatigue processes can be substantially combined is experimentally confirmed. Therefore, the local crack tip strain may be examined by a simpler, one-parameter approach for fatigue life estimation.     

Strength of adhesive-bonded lap joints with respect to change of temperature and fatigue

The theoretical analyses of the stress distribution in bonded joints are of little help to the practical designer. An approximate solution yields an expression for the “average” ultimate shear stress in terms of two constants. This paper shows how these constants can easily be determined experimentally and gives test results which show their temperature dependence and their variation under fatigue-loading conditions. The constants are essential characteristics of a given adhesive and can be used to design any glued joint using this adhesive.     

Crack-extension resistance of polycarbonate material

Crack-extension resistance for the polycarbonate material is examined by application of the strain energy density criterion and the incremental theory of plasticity. The energy state ahead of a slow moving crack in a three-point bend specimen is obtained for each load increment and used to determine the crack growth characteristics. The analytical results are displayed by plotting the strain energy density factor S as a function of crack length and compared with available experimental data on the polycarbonate material. Standard deviations and mean errors are computed for the experimentally measured and analytically determined values of S and are shown to be much lower than those based on the J-integral parameter. Modeling of the polycarbonate material by the theory of plasticity still remains much to be desired. Crack growth calculations are performed for a strain hardening parameter α = 0.85 that controls the proportion of isotropic and kinematic hardening. Nevertheless, the criterion dS/da = const. is shown to collate well with the experimental crack growth data.     

The ductile fracture of polycarbonate

The fracture of a known ductile polymer (polycarbonate) is investigated. It is shown that polycarbonate obeys the Dugdale model of ductile yielding by comparing measured plastic-zone sizes and displacements to the theoretical predictions. Strain-energy release rates are calculated and the critical value is shown to be one or two orders of magnitude higher than critical values for brittle polymers. Photoelastic photographs of the fracture process are presented and it is shown that the photoelastic effect definitely enhances the definition of the yield zone. Microscopic photoelastic photographs are also presented which are used to give a new interpretation to the photoplastic effect. Finally, suggestions for future work are presented.     

Spallation of polycarbonate under laser-driven shocks

Laser driven shocks have been used to investigate dynamic failure (spallation) of polycarbonate under uniaxial tensile loading at very high strain rate, of the order of 10 s. First, uninstrumented recovery shots have been performed, post-test examination of the fracture damage has been carried out, and the influences of the experimental parameters (loading conditions and target thickness) have been analyzed. Then, an attempt to model the response of polycarbonate to plane shock loading has been made. On one hand, in-situ measurements have been performed in polycarbonate samples submitted to the plane detonation wave of a strong explosive, and the results have led to content with simple constitutive relations. On the other hand, piezoelectric measurements under laser shocks have provided a characterization of the loading pressure pulse, and comparisons of the measured and computed signals have confirmed the ability of the model to describe wave propagation in polycarbonate. Finally, the spallation experiments have been simulated. A spall strength has been estimated, on the basis of the experimental data, and the predictive capability of the model has been tested. Received: 18 February 1997 / Accepted 1 April 1997     

Mechanics of Taylor impact testing of polycarbonate

The deformation of polymers under high-rate loading conditions is a governing factor in their use in impact-resistant applications, such as protective shields, safety glass windows and transparent armor. In this paper, Taylor impact experiments were conducted to examine the mechanical behavior of polycarbonate (PC), under conditions of high strain rate (∼10⁵ s⁻¹) and inhomogeneous deformation. High-speed photography was used to monitor the progression of deformation within the sample. A recently developed three-dimensional large strain rate-dependent elastic–viscoplastic constitutive model which describes the high-rate behavior of glassy polymers was used together with the ABAQUS/Explicit finite-element code to simulate several Taylor impact conditions. The simulation results are compared directly with experimental images for a range in initial rod dimensions and velocities. Final deformed shapes are found to correspond with those obtained experimentally, demonstrating the ability to predict complex inhomogeneous deformation events during very high-rate impact loading scenarios. The dependence of the observed behaviors on the various features of the polymer stress–strain behavior are presented in detail revealing the roles of strain softening and strain hardening in governing the manner in which deformation progresses in a polymer during dynamic inhomogeneous loading events.     

Measurement of favorable residual stresses in polycarbonate

Research in this laboratory has been directed toward the production and effects of beneficial residual stresses in plastics. Such stresses have been shown to have a dramatic effect on the impact strength and fatigue life of polycarbonate samples. For example, thermal quenching, in water or liquid nitrogen, of samples heated above their glass-transition temperature, resulted in an increase in the mean fatigue life of the material by as much as 20 times over that of annealed material. This increase is attributed in large part to the introduction of compressive stresses on the surfaces of the samples. This paper concentrates on methods used to measure residual stresses in the surface of the material and on the variation of these stresses with time after treatment. Three measurement techniques are described: (1) material slicing, (2) photoelastic fringe displacement and (3) the ASTM hole-drilling method. The advantages, limitations and comparative results of these three methods are described and analyzed. Paper was presented at the 1986 SEM Spring Conference on Experimental Mechanics held in New Orleans, LA on June 8–13.     

Elasto-plastic postbuckling of damaged orthotropic plates

Based on the elasto-plastic mechanics and continuum damage theory, a yield criterion related to spherical tensor of stress is proposed to describe the mixed hardening of damaged orthotropic materials. Its dimensionless form is isomorphic with the Mises criterion for isotropic materials. Furthermore, the incremental elasto-plastic damage constitutive equations and damage evolution equations are established. Based on the classical nonlinear plate theory, the incremental nonlinear equilibrium equations of orthotropic thin plates considering damage effect are obtained, and solved with the finite difference and iteration methods. In the numerical examples, the effects of damage evolution and initial deflection on the elasto-plastic postbuckling of orthotropic plates are discussed in detail.     

Cumulative creep damage for polycarbonate and polysulfone

The literature for creep-to-failure cumulative-damage laws are reviewed. Creep-to-failure tests performed on polycarbonate and polysulfone under single- and two-step loadings are discussed. A semiempirical cumulative-damage rule or modified time-fraction rule is developed, using as the starting point a power law for transient creep response. Experimental results are approximated well by the new rule. Damage and failure mechanisms associated with the two materials are suggested. performed this work Visiting Scientist, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Paper was presented at the 1985 SEM Spring Conference on Experimental Mechanics held in Las Vegas, NV on June 9–13.     

Nonlocal continuum theory of anisotropically damaged metals

The paper deals with a consistent and systematic general framework for the development of anisotropic continuum damage in ductile metals based on thermodynamic laws and nonlocal theories. The proposed model relies on finite strain kinematics based on the consideration of damaged as well as fictitious undamaged configurations related via metric transformation tensors which allow for the interpretation of damage tensors. The formulation is accomplished by rate-independent plasticity using a nonlocal yield condition of Drucker–Prager type, anisotropic damage based on a nonlocal damage growth criterion as well as non-associated flow and damage rules. The nonlocal theory of inelastic continua is established to be able to take into account long-range microstructural interaction. The approach incorporates macroscopic interstate variables and their higher-order gradients which properly describe the change in the internal structure and investigate the size effect of statistical inhomogeneity of the heterogeneous material. The idea of bridging length-scales is made by using higher-order gradients in the evolution equations of the equivalent inelastic strain measures which leads to a system of elliptic partial differential equations which is solved using the finite difference method at each iteration of the loading step and the displacement-based finite element procedure is governed by the standard principle of virtual work. Numerical simulations of the elastic–plastic deformation behavior of damaged solids demonstrate the efficiency of the formulation. Tension tests undergoing large strains are used to investigate the damage growth in high strength steel. The influence of various model parameters on the prediction of the deformation and localization of ductile metals is discussed.     

有损伤连续梁的瞬态响应

出于局部控制和健康安全监测的需要,为检测结构的损伤提供可能性,应用回传射线矩阵法,对方波脉冲作用下的有损伤连续梁进行损伤检测研究。连续梁结构的局部损伤用减小单元的杨氏模量来模拟。结果表明,当方波脉冲斜向作用时,通过结构上接收点处轴向速度波能准确判断损伤存在,确定损伤区域,估测损伤程度。     

Effects of physical aging on yielding kinetics of polycarbonate

The purpose of this work was to investigate the effects of physical aging on the kinetics of yielding in polycarbonate. PC samples were annealed over a wide range of aging times and temperatures. Both tensile and compressive tests were performed over various loading rates and temperatures to analyze the effects of aging time and aging temperature on yielding kinetics. Two grades of polycarbonate, Makrolon, of different molecular weights, PC-2608 (low M_w), and PC-3208 (high M_w), supplied by Bayer were analyzed. In unaged condition, PC is hard and tough, but after aging, it becomes more brittle. In terms of molecular movement, the yielding process is a thermally activated process involving inter- and intra-molecular motions. The time–temperature dependence of yielding behavior can be separated into two regions. Aging does not affect localized molecular motions of the β process during yielding. Physical aging in PC results in a slower jump rate of the main segments of macromolecules between two equilibrium positions. It reduces the flexibility of the macromolecules and thus, makes the polymer more brittle. Heat aging also causes a decrease of the entropy (ΔS) in polycarbonate, and this decrease is more important when the molecular weight is reduced. Increasing the annealing time and temperature results in a continuous reduction of ΔS. The rate of aging decreases with decreasing annealing temperature and below about 30 °C, no aging takes place. Annealing also strongly affects the excess of enthalpy in PC. However the effect of physical aging on yielding differs to that on enthalpy excess. The kinetics of yielding and aging processes in polycarbonate are also different. An increase in the strain rate does not have the same effect on the yield stress as an increase in the aging time by a same factor.     

碳纤维增强混凝土裂纹钝化后的弯曲强度评价

利用电沉积技术对碳纤维增强混凝土(CFRC)的裂纹实施钝化。在分析CFRC实施裂纹钝化后的弯曲强度分布状况的基础上,采用Weibull模数m值和特征强度σ的大小来评价该材料裂纹钝化后的性能。结果表明Weibull统计理论适宜解释电沉积技术的作用机理,CFRC在裂纹钝化后其强度提高了,离散性也得到了显著的改善。     

Mechanical behaviors and constitutive models of polycarbonate amorphous polymers

聚碳酸酯是一类玻璃态非晶聚合物材料,由于其出色的耐热和抗冲击能力,被广泛地应用于国防军事和工业领域.针对主要应用于聚碳酸酯材料类非晶聚合物,首先回顾了其力学性能实验研究现状,从唯象的角度分析实验结果,揭示这类材料力学性能.其次介绍了这类材料的各种本构模型的发展历程、物理机制、力学特性、适用范围等.最后,概述了各类本构模型在聚碳酸酯类聚合物材料中的应用,从工程应用的角度进一步讨论了本构模型对材料力学行为的表征,同时给出了聚碳酸酯类材料在实验和理论研究中仍然存在的关键科学问题及进一步的研究展望.     

聚碳酸酯类非晶聚合物力学性能及其本构关系

聚碳酸酯是一类玻璃态非晶聚合物材料,由于其出色的耐热和抗冲击能力,被广泛地应用于国防军事和工业领域。针对主要应用于聚碳酸酯材料类非晶聚合物,首先回顾了其力学性能实验研究现状,从唯象的角度分析实验结果,揭示这类材料力学性能。其次介绍了这类材料的各种本构模型的发展历程、物理机制、力学特性、适用范围等。最后,概述了各类本构模型在聚碳酸酯类聚合物材料中的应用,从工程应用的角度进一步讨论了本构模型对材料力学行为的表征,同时给出了聚碳酸酯类材料在实验和理论研究中仍然存在的关键科学问题及进一步的研究展望。     

Perforation of steel and polycarbonate plates by tumbling projectiles

An experimental investigation to assess the effect of tumbling by hard-steel, blunt-faced cylindrical projectiles on the impact response of thin 4130 steel and polycarbonate target plates was performed. Deformation and failure phenomena were observed and discussed; comparisons of the results with analytical models and numerical stimulation, described in a previous paper, were also performed for the steel targets. The final velocity of the projectile and the crater length in the target were correlated with the striker impact angle (or yaw angle with a zero oblique angle); reasonable agreement was attained among the experimental, analytical and numerical results. It was found that an increase of the impact angle can increase the velocity drop and the crater length markedly. The increase tends to be stabilized after the impact angle exceeds 50° and the consequences in such a case are almost the same as in side-on impact.