Micromechanical modeling of large plastic deformation and texture evolution in semi-crystalline polymers (Q1310336)

A micromechanically-based composite model is proposed to study large plastic deformation and texture evolution in semi-crystalline polymers. The microstructure of many semi-crystalline polymers consists of co- existing crystalline and amorphous phases locally associated with each other in a fine plate-like morphological structure. An aggregate of two- phase composite inclusions is used to model these materials. A Sachs-like model and two newly-developed self-consistent-like hybrid models are proposed to relate volume-average deformation and stress within the two- phase composite inclusion to the remote (macroscopic) fields. Applications of these composite models are made to predict stress-strain behavior and texture evolution in initially isotropic high density polyethylene under different modes of straining.