Thermo‐Viscoelastic Response of Polycarbonate Reinforced with Short Glass Fibers

Abstract

AbstractObservations are reported for oscillatory torsion tests at several temperatures ranging from room temperature to 100 °C on a polymer composite consisting of a polycarbonate matrix reinforced with short glass fibers. Constitutive equations are derived for the linear viscoelastic behavior of the polymer composite, which is treated as an equivalent heterogeneous network of chains bridged by junctions (entanglements and glass fibers). The network is thought of as an ensemble of meso‐regions with arbitrary shapes and sizes. With reference to the concept of cooperative relaxation, the time‐dependent response of an ensemble is associated with the rearrangement of meso‐domains. The rearrangement events occur at random times as meso‐regions are agitated by thermal fluctuations. Stress–strain relations for isothermal deformation of an ensemble of meso‐domains are derived by using the laws of thermodynamics. The governing equations are determined by five adjustable parameters that are found by fitting the experimental data. The effects of temperature and filler content on the material parameters are studied in detail.The shear modulus G GPa versus the content of short glass fibers ν wt.‐%. Symbols: treatment of observations in oscillatory torsion tests at T = 25 (unfilled circles) and T = 100 °C (filled circles). Solid lines: approximation of the experimental data by Equation (27). Curve 1: G0 = 1.05, G1 = 3.83 × 10−2. Curve 2: G0 = 0.91, G1 = 3.65 × 10−2.imageThe shear modulus G GPa versus the content of short glass fibers ν wt.‐%. Symbols: treatment of observations in oscillatory torsion tests at T = 25 (unfilled circles) and T = 100 °C (filled circles). Solid lines: approximation of the experimental data by Equation (27). Curve 1: G0 = 1.05, G1 = 3.83 × 10−2. Curve 2: G0 = 0.91, G1 = 3.65 × 10−2.