Micromechanics of the deformation and failure kinetics of semicrystalline polymers

An elasto-viscoplastic two-phase composite inclusion-based model for the mechanical performance of semicrystalline materials has previously been developed. This research focuses on adding quantitative abilities to the model, in particular for the stress-dependence of the rate of plastic deformation, referred to as the yield kinetics. A key issue in achieving that goal is the description of the rate-dependence of slip along crystallographic planes. The model is used to predict time-to-failure for a range of static loads and temperatures. Application to oriented materials shows a distinct influence of individual slip systems.