Chisato Nonomura

Thermo-mechanical coupling and self-excited oscillation in the neck propagation of PET films

Abstract The self-excited oscillation of neck propagation during cold drawing of polymer films has been examined experimentally. On the basis of Barenblatts model considering a thermo-mechanical coupling at the neck, the temperature rise at the neck has been studied with an infrared camera. The temperature began to rise in a range showing a negative velocity dependence of the applied load. The behavior is consistent with the view of thermo-mechanical coupling. The temperature rise was up to 80°C (>Tg) and explains the occurrence of crystallization for faster drawing rates. It has also been confirmed that the temperature rise follows the oscillation of stress due to the coupling.

Chain contraction and nonlinear stress damping in primitive chain network simulations

Doi and Edwards (DE) proposed that the relaxation of entangled linear polymers under large deformation occurs in two steps: the fast chain contraction (via the longitudinal Rouse mode of the chain backbone) and the slow orientational relaxation (due to reptation). The DE model assumes these relaxation processes to be independent and decoupled. However, this decoupling is invalid for a generalized convective constraint release (CCR) mechanism that releases the entanglement on every occasion of the contraction of surrounding chains. Indeed, the decoupling does not occur in the sliplink models where the entanglement is represented by the binary interaction (hooking) of chains. Thus, we conducted primitive chain network simulations based on a multichain sliplink model to investigate the chain contraction under step shear. The simulation quantitatively reproduced experimental features of the nonlinear relaxation modulus G(t,γ). Namely, G(t,γ) was cast in the time-strain separable form, G(t,γ)=h(γ)G(t) with h(γ)=damping function and G(t)=linear modulus, but this rigorous separability was valid only at times t comparable to the terminal relaxation time, although a deviation from this form was rather small (within ±10%) at t>τ(R) (longest Rouse relaxation time). A molecular origin of this delicate failure of time-strain separability at t∼τ(R) was examined for the chain contour length, subchain length, and subchain stretch. These quantities were found to relax in three steps, the fast, intermediate, and terminal steps, governed by the local force balance between the subchains, the longitudinal Rouse relaxation, and the reptation, respectively. The contributions of the terminal reptative mode to the chain length relaxation as well as the subchain length/stretch relaxation, not considered in the original DE model, emerged because the sliplinks (entanglement) were removed via the generalized CCR mechanism explained above and the reformation of the sliplinks was slow at around the chain center compared to the more rapidly fluctuating chain end. The number of monomers in the subchain were kept larger at the chain center than at the chain end because of the slow entanglement reformation at the center, thereby reducing the tension of the stretched subchain at the chain center compared to the DE prediction. This reduction of the tension at the chain center prevented completion of the length equilibration of subchains at t∼τ(R) (which contradicts to the DE prediction), and it forces the equilibration to complete through the reptative mode at t≫τ(R). The delicate failure of time-strain separability seen for G(t,γ) at t∼τ(R) reflects this retarded length equilibration.

Prediction method for clothing pressure distribution by the numerical approach: attention to deformation by the extension of knitted fabric

In general, clothing pressure is measured using a sensor set on the surface of a human body or dummy, and it is not possible to measure clothing pressure without the sewing process. We have developed a numerical-analysis-based technique to simulate clothing pressure without having to sew the cloth into clothes. We presupposed that clothing made of knitted fabric was applied to a mannequin in close contact with its surface. Based on this simulation, this paper proposes a model for fabric deformation, by extension applicable to large deformation, with anisotropy and non-linearity taken into account. In this model, the fabric is separated into isotropic and anisotropic elements, and non-linearity is assigned to both the isotropic and anisotropic elements. Furthermore, to use this model, we propose a method for fitting the knitted fabric tightly to a human body model while sewing the knitted fabric model reflecting the paper pattern. To prevent excessive extension of the knitted fabric model reflecting the paper pattern during the process of fitting, we adopted the two-step fitting method involving application of the fabric to a temporary human body model (intermediary) followed by its application to a formal human body model. The clothing pressure values calculated with this method were very close to the actually measured values using a rigid mannequin.

Modeling of Cell Structure in Polyurethane Foam

We suggested that the cell structure of polyurethane foam could be approximated to be oval by the use of the finite element method. Three kinds of parameters for cell modeling were employed, which are the ratio of radius, the area, and the thickness of the cell wall.

Numerical prediction of fiber orientation in injection-molded short-fiber/thermoplastic composite parts with experimental validation

Numerical prediction of the fiber orientation in the short-glass fiber (GF) reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6) composites with the fiber weight concentration of 30%, 50%, and 70% manufactured by the injection molding process is presented. And the fiber orientation was also directly observed and measured through X-ray computed tomography. During the injection molding process of the short-fiber/thermoplastic composite, the fiber orientation is produced by the flow states and the fiber-fiber interaction. Folgar and Tucker equation is the well known for modeling the fiber orientation in a concentrated suspension. They included into Jeffrey’s equation a diffusive type of term by introducing a phenomenological coefficient to account for the fiber-fiber interaction. Our developed model for the fiber-fiber interaction was proposed by modifying the rotary diffusion term of the Folgar-Tucker equation. This model was presented in a conference paper of the 29th International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society pub...

Numerical analysis of neck propagation in polymeric materials. Part 2 – Neck propagation behaviour of poly (butylene terephthalate) mouldings

Abstract This paper examines the factors controlling the formation and propagation of a neck in poly (butylene terephthalate) (PBT) mouldings under tensile loading. Tensile tests were used to investigate the load–displacement and deformation behaviour of PBT and the accompanying changes in surface temperature. In parallel with this experimental study, a numerical model was developed for the deformation of PBT mouldings and neck formation under tensile loading analysed using finite element analysis (FEA). The calculated numerical results were compared with the experimental data. This work has shown that formation does not occur in PBT immediately after the yield point. Instead, plastic deformation first progresses homogeneously through the testpiece. Neck formation and propagation, accompanied by a rise in temperature, then follow. The load–displacement behaviour calculated using FEA could be approximated to the experimental data by adapting an elastic–plastic model at a stable temperature to the necking behaviour of PBT moulding. Furthermore, the dependence of neck formation on strain rate is related to the plastic instability, as demonstrated by the numerical results, and does not depend upon heating effects.

Analysis of interfacial delamination in stretched PET film containing incompatible polymer particles Mechanism of void formation

Abstract The processing behaviour of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films containing incompatible polymeric particles has been analysed, with particular reference to the relationship between the particle-matrix interfacial energy and the microvoids that are formed when the composite film is stretched at 90°C. A model was developed to simulate void formation due to interfacial delamination between PET and three types of dispersed incompatible polymer: poly(4-methyl pent-1-ene) (TPX); polypropylene (PP); and polystyrene (PS). Numerical results obtained using the finite element method were compared with experimental data on blends with different particle sizes,for both the internal and sub-surface regions. Experimental measurements showed that increasing the difference in surface energy between PET and the added incompatible polymer is associated with the formation of larger voids. Modelling studies showed that increasing the interfacial energy between the two components of the blend causes a decrease in the critical stress for delamination. Interfacial tension values obtained from the literature 1 related qualitatively to the critical stress for void formation calculated using numerical analysis. Numerical analysis predicted a tendency to form depressions on the surface of the film near sub-surface voids, which was confirmed quantitatively by experiment.

Measurement of fiber orientation distribution in injection-molded composites with high filler content

Short-fiber-reinforced composites are widely used in a number of industries and applications, including in the transportation industry, and in business machine, durable consumer items, and sporting goods. Properties of fiber-reinforced composite depend on its fiber orientation distribution. Thus, knowing the fiber orientation is of great importance, and a number of researchers have been interested in developing useful and accurate techniques for determining the fiber orientation in injection-molded parts formed from short-fiber composite. However, out-of-plane orientation was preformed manually and difficulties arise when employing the technique in the case of composites with high fiber contents, over 50wt.%. In this research, short-glass fiber-reinforced polyamide 6 specimens produced using two different plate-shaped cavities having three different thicknesses ranging from 2mm to 4mm and with the fiber contents ranging from 30wt.% to 65wt.% are carried out using injection molding. The three-dimensional (...

Advanced fiber orientation prediction for high filler content short-fiber/thermoplastic composites

Properties of fiber-reinforced composite are dominated by the microstructure of the fabricated part rather than the properties of constituent materials. As the microstructure of composite is related to the flow-processing route of the fiber-reinforced suspensions and the geometry of the mold, the microstructure of composite can be tailored in order to achieving high-performance composites by exercising control over the flow processing. Thus, numerical methods are used to model the resin flow, the fiber orientation, and mold design, and they become important challenges during molding process. In our previous research, a theoretical fiber-fiber interaction model with a global fiber interaction coefficient was developed. In this study, the three-dimensional (3D) fiber orientation distribution is predicted by combining our developed fiber interaction model and improved Anisotropic Rotary Diffusion - Retarding Principle Rate (iARD-RPR) model. The fiber orientation calculation started from the gate, and from a ...

Numerical simulation of fiber interaction in short-fiber injection-molded composite using different cavity geometries

The theoretical fiber-interaction model for calculating the fiber orientation in the injection molded short fiber/thermoplastic composite parts was proposed. The proposed model included the fiber dynamics simulation in order to obtain an equation of the global interaction coefficient and accurate estimate of the fiber interacts at all orientation states. The steps to derive the equation for this coefficient in short fiber suspension as a function of the fiber aspect ratio, volume fraction and general shear rate are delineated. Simultaneously, the high-resolution 3D X-ray computed tomography system XVA-160α was used to observe fiber distribution of short-glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide specimens using different cavity geometries. The fiber orientation tensor components are then calculated. Experimental orientation measurements of short-glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide is used to check the ability of present theory for predicting orientation. The experiments and predictions show a quantitative agreement an...