Predictors of Cavitation in Glassy Polymers under Tensile Strain: A Coarse‐Grained Molecular Dynamics Investigation
Tóm tắt
The nucleation of cavities in a homogeneous polymer under tensile strain is studied in a coarse‐grained MD simulation. To establish a causal relation between local microstructure and the onset of cavitation, a detailed analysis of some local properties is presented. In contrast to common assumptions, the nucleation of a cavity is neither correlated to a local loss of density nor to stress at the atomic scale or the chain‐end density in the nondeformed state. Instead, a cavity in glassy polymers nucleates in regions that display a low bulk elastic modulus. Even if the localization of a cavity is not directly predictable from the initial configuration, the elastically weak zones identified in the initial state emerge as favorite spots for cavity formation.
Từ khóa
Tài liệu tham khảo
Perez J., 1998, Physics and Mechanics of Amorphous Polymers
Sternstein S. S., 1969, Polym. Prepr., 10, 1117
B.Schnell Ph. D. Thesis Université de Strasbourg2006.
P.Sollich A.Barra in preparation.