The Rate Dependent Tensile Response of Polycarbonate and Poly-methylmethacrylate

Abstract

The tensile mechanical response of polycarbonate and polymethyl-methacrylate is investigated across a range of strain rates from 0.001 to 1600 s−1. Traditional standard ASTM tensile experiments are limited to low strain rates and do not give quantitative data for plastic behavior for strain softening materials. In this study, a novel specimen and gripping geometry is designed and verified to mitigate wave reflections present in previous high strain rate tensile experiments. Digital image correlation is used to extract local deformation measurements, and a Kolsky bar technique typically used for fiber experiments is adapted for soft polymers. The insights gathered in this study will provide a further step toward a high fidelity material model for both ductile and brittle polymers.