Simulation of mechanical response in crystallizing polymers: Crystallization under a constant shear force (Q1922008)

The authors base their analysis on a previously given model of mechanical response in crystallizing polymers. In this model due to \textit{M. Negahban}, \textit{A. S. Wineman} and \textit{R. J. Ma} [Int. J. Eng. Sci. 31, 93-113 (1993)], the macroscopic change in volume is directly related to the fraction of crystallized materials. This is associated to a constitutive equation in which the actual Cauchy stress is the mass weighted average of the effective stress in the amorphous (uncrystallized) material and the effective stress in different crystals. Here a simulation of shearing controlled by a constant load is presented for this mechanical response. The shear strain is shown to increase with crystallization. The history of this shear strain directly affects the residual shape of the material after unloading. In particular, the shear modulus and elastic moduli are calculated in terms of the shear loading and the degree of crystallization. This is further illustrated by comparisons with simulations based on a constant shear strain and by simulations based on parameters corresponding to natural rubber.