Prediction of Yield and Long-Term Failure of Oriented Polypropylene: Kinetics and Anisotropy

The time-dependent yield and failure behavior of off-axis loaded uniaxially oriented polypropylene tape is investigated. The yield and failure behavior is described with an anisotropic viscoplastic model. A viscoplastic flow rule is used with an equivalent stress, based on Hill's anisotropic yield criterion, and the Eyring flow theory combined with a critical equivalent strain definition. This model is based on factorization of the rate and draw ratio dependence and is capable of quantitatively predicting the rate, angle and draw ratio dependence of the yield stress as well as time-to-failure in various off-axis tensile loading conditions characterized solely from the transverse direction. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 2026-2035, 2009