Yann Marco

Digital image correlation used to analyze the multiaxial behavior of rubber-like materials

We present an experimental approach to discriminate models describing the mechanical behavior of polymeric materials. A biaxial loading condition is obtained in a multiaxial testing machine. An evaluation of the displacement field obtained by digital image correlation allows us to evaluate the heterogeneous strain field observed during these tests. We focus on the particular case of hyper-elastic models to simulate the behavior of a rubber-like material. Different expressions of hyper-elastic potential are used to model experiments under uniaxial and biaxial loading conditions.

WAXD study of induced crystallization and orientation in poly(ethylene terephthalate) during biaxial elongation

This study presents an experimental investigation into the strain-induced crystalline microstructure, under biaxial elongation in poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), using wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). We examined how the microstructure of a polymer subjected to a complex strain field evolves in terms of its crystalline ratio, its molecular orientation and the size of its crystallite. PET injection-molded specimens have been subjected to biaxial elongation tests, both equibiaxial and sequential, at different drawing speeds, draw ratios and temperatures above and close to Tg. The strain field was determined using a home-developed image correlation technique that has allowed us to determine all the strain components at each point of the specimen, even with a non-homogeneous strain field. To minimize the effect of quiescent crystallization, specimens are quickly heated with infrared and the temperature was regulated during the test. At the end of the deformation process, the specimens were quenched to room temperature. Their microstructures were later investigated, using both differential densimetry and WAXD with a synchrotron beam. Influences of strain rate, temperature and strain path sequence on the size of the crystallites and their orientation are evaluated. q 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Tools for multiaxial validation of behavior laws chosen for modeling hyper-elasticity of rubber-like materials

We present an experimental approach to discriminate hyper-elastic models describing the mechanical behavior of rubber-like materials. An evaluation of the displacement field obtained by digital image correlation allows us to evaluate the heterogeneous strain field observed during these tests. We focus on the particular case of hyper-elastic models to simulate the behavior of some rubber-like materials. Assuming incompressibility of the material, the hyper-elastic potential is determined from tension and compression tests. A biaxial loading condition is obtained in a multiaxial testing machine and model predictions are compared with experimental results.

Induced crystallization and orientation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) during uniaxial and biaxial elongation

Stretching PET at a high strain rate above the glass transition temperature has a positive effect on the strength of the material. In a recent paper [1] , we presented the influence of stretch and blow molding parameters on the properties of the final product, especially on the crystallinity induced by stretching. In this paper, we focus on the effects of loading, temperature, elongation and strain rate on macromolecular orientation and crystallization kinetics. We present experimental results from uniaxial and biaxial elongation tests carried out on injected PET specimens. To minimize the effect of quiescent crystallization, specimens are quickly heated with infrared lamps before the test and temperature is regulated during the test. Both uniaxial and biaxial tests are analyzed using a cross correlation technique [2] that compares a picture used as reference and the picture of the deformed specimen. This technique allows us to determine all strain components at each point of the specimen, even when the strain field is not homogeneous. In a second part, we present measurements of macromolecular orientation and crystallinity ratio performed after each test. The infrared dichroism technique is used to determine the orientation of the microscopic morphology of PET before and after the testing. DSC measurements and density measurements are carried out to calculate the crystallinity ratio. Influences of strain rate, temperature and strain path sequence are evaluated in order to build a database for recent models of induced crystallization [3],[4],[5] .

Crystallization of polymers under strain : from molecular properties to macroscopic models

The crystallization of thermo-plastic polymers under strain is considered both theoretically and experimentally. The thermo-mechanical model presented here is performed in the framework of the so-called generalized standard materials. In our model we couple in a very natural way the kinetics of crystallization with the mechanical history experienced by the polymer. The viscoelastic properties of the polymer are described using molecular theories. Therefore, in this model of strain-induced crystallization, the kinetics of crystallization is explicitly linked to the polymer chain conformation. Our model is intended to be valid for both for shearing and elongation, or any other complex strain field. Two different viscoelastic molecular models are considered here, corresponding to Maxwell and Pom-Pom constitutive equations. The model is implemented in a dedicated finite element code and the case of injection molding is considered.To validate our strain-induced crystallization model, which explicitly takes into account the molecular conformation, experiments investigating the material behavior at the molecular scale are required. Several measurement techniques can be used to achieve this task, including infrared spectroscopy, optical polarimetry, X-ray scattering or diffraction, etc. In this paper, the wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) is used to investigate the crystalline texture of the polymer. We consider here the case of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) subjected to a biaxial elongation above its T-g. The strain field is determined using a home-developed image correlation technique that allows us to infer all the strain components at each point of the specimen, even in the case of a non-homogeneous strain field. To minimize the effect of quiescent crystallization, specimens are quickly heated with infrared and the temperature was regulated during the test. At the end of the deformation process, the specimens were quenched to room temperature. Their microstructure was later investigated using the WAXD technique. In order to undertake local and accurate WAXD measurements Synchrotron radiation facilities are used.

Contribution of accurate thermal measurements to the characterisation of thermomechanical properties of rubber-like materials

Abstract Since the pioneer works of Gough and Joule, the thermal characterisation of elastomers under mechanical loading has been investigated by numerous research teams. This is not surprising as the thermal signature of rubber is very useful data to investigate the dissipation mechanisms as well as the thermodynamical variables and couplings. In former recent studies dealing with fatigue investigations, an experimental protocol was developed. This protocol imposes cyclic loading to hourglass shaped samples, takes into account the large displacements and permits dissociation between the intrinsic dissipation, responsible for the mean temperature variation (called heat build-up in the literature) and thermomechanical couplings responsible for the temperature variation around this mean value during one cycle. Up to now, the mean temperature has been investigated in order to feed an energetic fatigue criterion. The aim of the present study is to investigate the thermomechanical couplings and the ability of thermal measurements to exhibit some specific thermomechanical properties observed for rubberlike materials. The materials studied are natural rubber and styrene butabiène rubber compounds filled with several amounts of carbons blacks. The experimental data clearly exhibit interesting features such as the thermoelastic inversion point and difference in the temperature signal between mechanical loading and unloading. This rich database is analysed and correlated to other results from the literature. The main results obtained are dealing with the ability of accurate measurements to characterise the thermodynamic couplings and to detect the stress induced crystallisation.

Simulation of Free Blowing of Polyethylene Terephthalate using a Thermodynamic Induced Crystallisation Model. Free Blowing Simulation

Microstructure evolution in Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) during a blowing process has an important influence on final mechanical property (Chevalier,1999). In order to simulate blow-moulding process it is necessary to take into account this evolution. In a first part we present a thermodynamic model in the case of a simple dependence of the viscosity under the crystallisation ratio (Poitou, 2001). The model is identified on uniaxial and biaxial tension tests results. In a second part, the axisymmetric problem of membrane inflation is solved using a classical finite element technique. The simulated results are compared with experimental results on free blown preforms and the comparison is quite accurate considering the elementary form of the induced crystallisation model.

Setup to test biaxial stress effect on magnetomechanic coupling

Many authors provide a self-method to take into account a multiaxial stress state for magnetic coupling. By reviewing those criteria we try to point out the most general one. We also propose an original setup validated by FE calculation.