Modeling of the temperature-dependent tensile strength of polymer considering the effect of the two-phase transition of glass and rubber phases

This study explores the contribution of glass phase and rubber phase to polymer failure, and establishes a theoretical model of temperature-dependent tensile strength (TDTS) considering the effect of two-phase transition based on the Force-heat Equivalence Energy Density Principle (FHEEDP). The model achieves good verification by comparison with the TDTS experimental data of various polymer materials, including epoxy-based shape memory polymer (SMP), PEEK-based SMP and CdS/PMMA. The results demonstrate that the model can perform an accurate prediction for the tensile strength of polymer at different temperatures by easily obtainable material parameters. In conclusion, the proposed theoretical model deepens the understanding on the two-phase transition and their effect on the TDTS, as well as supplies a practical predicted method on the TDTS of polymer, which is crucial for polymer applied in extreme condition. The proposed TDTS model and the comparison results between model predictions and experiments. image