A two-phase self-consistent model for the deformation and phase transformation behavior of polymers above the glass transition temperature: application to PET

A two-phase self-consistent model for large deformation stress-strain behavior and strain-induced crystallization in polymers at temperatures above the glass transition temperature is proposed. In this model, a composite framework is utilized to deal with the presence of the two phases, crystalline and amorphous, after the onset of strain-induced crystallization. The plastic behavior of each phase is approached by a widely used viscoplastic power law. The crystallization rate is expressed following a non-isothermal phenomenological expression based on the modified Avrami equation. Our predicted results are compared to the upper and lower bound estimates and to the existing experimental results in which good agreement is found with these experiments. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.