Plastic Deformation of Crystalline Polymers: The Role of Cavitation and Crystal Plasticity

Abstract

Plane strain compression in a channel die is kinematically very similar to drawing; however, the possibility of void formation is limited due to a compressive component of stress. In drawing, voids were detected by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and density measurements in poly(methylene oxide) (POM), polypropylene (PP), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), but no voiding was found in polyamide 6 (PA 6), low-density polyethylenes (LDPEs), and ethylene−octene copolymer (EOC). The slope and shape of the initial elastic part of true stress−true strain curves are similar in tension and in channel die compression. When drawn samples of POM, PP, HDPE, and PA 6 already show yielding, the channel die compressed samples still undergo elastic deformation to a much larger deformation and respond with a much larger stress. Channel die compressed POM, PP, HDPE, and PA 6 exhibit strong and rapid strain hardening up to 400 MPa in contrast to their behavior in tension. The difference in strain hardening is related ...