Evaluation of deformation behavior of glassy polymer containing soft rubber particles

Abstract

The onset of cavitation is modeled by introducing a small hole in the particle. The results indicate that the relations between the average normal stress and volume change of the particle are cast into a characteristic single line for all cases in the present investigation. The maximum mean stress appears at the front or the inflection point of the inclination of the shear band, which corresponds to the intersection point of the shear bands. Soft rubber particles promote the plastic deformation, which suggests a higher absorption of the energy and a lower maximum value of mean stress in the polymer. The increase of the macroscopic strain ratio promotes the plastic deformation of polymer and the onset of macroscopic yielding with a lower value of yield stress, whereas the high triaxiality of the macroscopic stress increases the mean stress in the polymer. The effect of heterogeneity of the particles on the maximum mean stress in polymer is remarkably different depending on the applied strain ratio. The increase of the volume fraction of particles promotes the shear band connecting the particles and relaxes the stress concentration, which results the reduction of maximum mean stress in the polymer.