Distribution of nonliner relaxation (DNLR) approach of the annealing effects in semicristalline polymers: structure–property relation for high-density polyethylene (HDPE)

• Published in: Continuum mechanics and thermodynamics Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 373 - 385
• Main Authors: Ferhoum, R., Aberkane, M., Ould Ouali, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.05.2014; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Annealing; Calorimetry; Classical and Continuum Physics; Engineering Thermodynamics; Fourier transforms; Heat and Mass Transfer; High density polyethylenes; Infrared spectroscopy; Materials science; Mathematical models; Mechanical properties; Microstructure; Original Article; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Polyethylenes; Polymers; Structural Materials; Tensile tests; Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; HDPE; DNLR; Annealing; Large strain
• ISSN: 0935-1175; 1432-0959
• DOI: 10.1007/s00161-013-0306-9

This work is devoted to the numerical and experimental study of annealing effects on microstructure and mechanical properties of the high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Uniaxiale tension tests are conducted at 25 °C in order to characterize the mechanical behavior of HDPE. The influence of the annealing treatment on the material microstructure is examined by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and microstructures are characterized using differential scanning calorimetry. The distribution of nonlinear relaxation approach is adopted to describe the mechanical response of virgin and annealed HDPE. Annealing effects are incorporated into the constitutive model by introducing the microstructure (crystallinity degree) evolution on the macroscopic response of the material. The numerical predictions of the model are in good agreement with experimental results for the different states of the material.