The Stress Triaxiality Effect under Large Plastic Deformation of a Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT)

Abstract

In this work, we focus on a new generation of polymer named Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). In order to analyse and determine true behaviour of this polymer, a special experimental method was used. Hence, the true stress/strain responses are investigated under a large plastic deformation in different stress triaxiality frameworks with a particular attention on the volumetric strain evolution, with their decomposition to an elastic volumetric strain, plastic volumetric strain and the pure shear. Moreover, the effect of stress triaxiality on the plastic instability and the fracture strain is also examined. With the plastic instability analysis, it was found that plastic strain hardening increases gradually with the triaxiality. Finally, in order to evaluate the damage of this polymer, a theoretical damage formula is proposed.