Deformation time dependence

Similar to elastic deformations, plastic deformations can be time-dependent or time-independent. In this book, the term plasticity always implies time-independent deformation. Time-dependent plastic deformation will be denoted as viscoplasticity or creep. This will be discussed in chapter 11 for the case of metals and ceramics, and in chapter 8 for polymers. 

The transmission coefficient Cl (Qj,t), considering transient (broadband) sources, is time-dependent and therefore accounts for the possible pulse deformation in the refraction process. It also takes account of the quantity actually computed in the solid (displacement, velocity potential,...) and the possible mode-conversion into shear waves and is given by... 

The elastic and viscoelastic properties of materials are less familiar in chemistry than many other physical properties hence it is necessary to spend a fair amount of time describing the experiments and the observed response of the polymer. There are a large number of possible modes of deformation that might be considered We shall consider only elongation and shear. For each of these we consider the stress associated with a unit strain and the strain associated with a unit stress the former is called the modulus, the latter the compliance. Experiments can be time independent (equilibrium), time dependent (transient), or periodic (dynamic). Just to define and describe these basic combinations takes us into a fair amount of detail and affords some possibilities for confusion. Pay close attention to the definitions of terms and symbols. 

The situation is not so simple when these various parameters are time dependent. In the latter case, the moduli, designated by E(t)and G(t), are evaluated by examining the (time dependent) value of o needed to maintain a constant strain 7o- By constrast, the time-dependent compliances D(t) and J(t)are determined by measuring the time-dependent strain associated with a constant stress Oq. Thus whether the deformation mode is tension or shear, the modulus is a measure of the stress required to produce a unit strain. Likewise, the compliance is a measure of the strain associated with a unit stress. As required by these definitions, the units of compliance are the reciprocals of the units of the moduli m in the SI system. 

Returning to the Maxwell element, suppose we rapidly deform the system to some state of strain and secure it in such a way that it retains the initial deformation. Because the material possesses the capability to flow, some internal relaxation will occur such that less force will be required with the passage of time to sustain the deformation. Our goal with the Maxwell model is to calculate how the stress varies with time, or, expressing the stress relative to the constant strain, to describe the time-dependent modulus. Such an experiment can readily be performed on a polymer sample, the results yielding a time-dependent stress relaxation modulus. In principle, the experiment could be conducted in either a tensile or shear mode measuring E(t) or G(t), respectively. We shall discuss the Maxwell model in terms of shear. 

Another aspect of plasticity is the time dependent progressive deformation under constant load, known as creep. This process occurs when a fiber is loaded above the yield value and continues over several logarithmic decades of time. The extension under fixed load, or creep, is analogous to the relaxation of stress under fixed extension. Stress relaxation is the process whereby the stress that is generated as a result of a deformation is dissipated as a function of time. Both of these time dependent processes are reflections of plastic flow resulting from various molecular motions in the fiber. As a direct consequence of creep and stress relaxation, the shape of a stress—strain curve is in many cases strongly dependent on the rate of deformation, as is illustrated in Figure 6. 

An important aspect of the mechanical properties of fibers concerns their response to time dependent deformations. Fibers are frequently subjected to conditions of loading and unloading at various frequencies and strains, and it is important to know their response to these dynamic conditions. In this connection the fatigue properties of textile fibers are of particular importance, and have been studied extensively in cycHc tension (23). The results have been interpreted in terms of molecular processes. The mechanical and other properties of fibers have been reviewed extensively (20,24—27). 

Creep. The phenomenon of creep refers to time-dependent deformation. In practice, at least for most metals and ceramics, the creep behavior becomes important at high temperatures and thus sets a limit on the maximum appHcation temperature. In general, this limit increases with the melting point of a material. An approximate limit can be estimated to He at about half of the Kelvin melting temperature. The basic governing equation of steady-state creep can be written as foUows ... 

Figure 16 (145). For an elastic material (Fig. 16a), the resulting strain is instantaneous and constant until the stress is removed, at which time the material recovers and the strain immediately drops back to 2ero. In the case of the viscous fluid (Fig. 16b), the strain increases linearly with time. When the load is removed, the strain does not recover but remains constant. Deformation is permanent. The response of the viscoelastic material (Fig. 16c) draws from both kinds of behavior. An initial instantaneous (elastic) strain is followed by a time-dependent strain. When the stress is removed, the initial strain recovery is elastic, but full recovery is delayed to longer times by the viscous component.

It is important to differentiate between brittie and plastic deformations within materials. With brittie materials, the behavior is predominantiy elastic until the yield point is reached, at which breakage occurs. When fracture occurs as a result of a time-dependent strain, the material behaves in an inelastic manner. Most materials tend to be inelastic. Figure 1 shows a typical stress—strain diagram. The section A—B is the elastic region where the material obeys Hooke s law, and the slope of the line is Young s modulus. C is the yield point, where plastic deformation begins. The difference in strain between the yield point C and the ultimate yield point D gives a measure of the brittieness of the material, ie, the less difference in strain, the more brittie the material. 

Purely viscous fluids are further classified into time-independent and time-dependent fluids. For time-independent fluids, the shear stress depends only on the instantaneous shear rate. The shear stress for time-dependent fluids depends on the past history of the rate of deformation, as a result of structure or orientation buildup or breakdown during deformation. 

Time-dependent fluids are those for which structural rearrangements occur during deformation at a rate too slow to maintain equilibrium configurations. As a result, shear stress changes with duration of shear. Thixotropic fluids, such as mayonnaise, clay suspensions used as drilling muds, and some paints and inks, show decreasing shear stress with time at constant shear rate. A detailed description of thixotropic behavior and a list of thixotropic systems is found in Bauer and Colhns (ibid.). 

Hiestand Tableting Indices Likelihood of failure during decompression depends on the abihty of the material to relieve elastic-stress by plastic deformation without undergoing brittle fracture, and this is time dependent. Those which relieve stress rapidly are less... 

In summary, then, design with polymers requires special attention to time-dependent effects, large elastic deformation and the effects of temperature, even close to room temperature. Room temperature data for the generic polymers are presented in Table 21.5. As emphasised already, they are approximate, suitable only for the first step of the design project. For the next step you should consult books (see Further reading), and when the choice has narrowed to one or a few candidates, data for them should be sought from manufacturers data sheets, or from your own tests. Many polymers contain additives - plasticisers, fillers, colourants - which change the mechanical properties. Manufacturers will identify the polymers they sell, but will rarely disclose their... 

One of the most important conclusions from this is that since both the viscous and the high elastic components of deformation depend on both time and temperature, the total deformation will depend on time and temperature. Since this fact has been shown to be an important factor affecting many polymer properties it is proposed to consider the background to this in greater detail in the following section. 

It has been also shown that when a thin polymer film is directly coated onto a substrate with a low modulus ( < 10 MPa), if the contact radius to layer thickness ratio is large (afh> 20), the surface layer will make a negligible contribution to the stiffness of the system and the layered solid system acts as a homogeneous half-space of substrate material while the surface and interfacial properties are governed by those of the layer [32,33]. The extension of the JKR theory to such layered bodies has two important implications. Firstly, hard and opaque materials can be coated on soft and clear substrates which deform more readily by small surface forces. Secondly, viscoelastic materials can be coated on soft elastic substrates, thereby reducing their time-dependent effects. 

Throughout this chapter the viscoelastic behaviour of plastics has been described and it has been shown that deformations are dependent on such factors as the time under load and the temperature. Therefore, when structural components are to be designed using plastics, it must be remembered that the classical equations which are available for the design of springs, beams, plates, cylinders, etc., have all been derived under the assumptions that... 

This is the governing equation of the Maxwell Model. It is interesting to consider the response that this model predicts under three common time-dependent modes of deformation. 

This is the governing equation for the Kelvin (or Voigt) Model and it is interesting to consider its predictions for the common time dependent deformations. 

In this book no prior knowledge of plastics is assumed. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to the structure of plastics and it provides an insight to the way in which their unique structure affects their performance. There is a resume of the main types of plastics which are available. Chapter 2 deals with the mechanical properties of unreinforced and reinforced plastics under the general heading of deformation. The time dependent behaviour of the materials is introduced and simple design procedures are illustrated. Chapter 3 continues the discussion on properties but concentrates on fracture as caused by creep, fatigue and impact. The concepts of fracture mechanics are also introduced for reinforced and unreinforced plastics. 

The shear deformation potential for the (111) and (100) valley minima determined by fits to the data of Fig. 4.10 are shown in Table 4.5 and compared to prior theoretical calculations and experimental observations. The deformation potential of the (111) valley has been extensively investigated and the present value compares favorably to prior work. The error assigned recognizes the uncertainty in final resistivity due to observed time dependence. The distinguishing characteristic of the present value is that it is measured at a considerably larger strain than has heretofore been possible. Unfortunately, the present data are too limited to address the question of nonlinearities in the deformation potentials [77T02]. 

The droplet deformation is also time-dependent. A practicable dimensionless breakup time can be defined as ... 

Dynamic loading in the present context is taken to include deformation rates above those achieved on the standard laboratorytesting machine (commonly designated as static or quasi-static). These slower tests may encounter minimal time-dependent effects, such as creep and stress-relaxation, and therefore are in a sense dynamic. Thus the terms static and dynamic can be overlapping. 

Crazing. This develops in such amorphous plastics as acrylics, PVCs, PS, and PCs as creep deformation enters the rupture phase. Crazes start sooner under high stress levels. Crazing occurs in crystalline plastics, but in those its onset is not readily visible. It also occurs in most fiber-reinforced plastics, at the time-dependent knee in the stress-strain curve. 

Time dependence Viscoelastic deformation is a transition type behavior that is characterized by the occurrence of both elastic strain and time-dependent flow. It is the time dependence of the mechanical properties of plastics that makes the behavior of these materials difficult to analyze by mathematical theory. 

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