A physically-based constitutive model for anisotropic damage in rubber-toughened glassy polymers during finite deformation

The present work focuses on the development of a physically-based model for large deformation stress-strain response and anisotropic damage in rubber-toughened glassy polymers. The main features leading to a microstructural evolution (regarding cavitation, void aspect ratio, matrix plastic anisotropy and rubbery phase deformation) in rubber-toughened glassy polymers are introduced in the proposed constitutive model. The constitutive response of the glassy polymer matrix is modelled using the hyperelastic-viscoplastic model of Boyce et al. (1988, 2000). The deformation mechanisms of the matrix material are accounted for by two resistances: an elastic-viscoplastic isotropic intermolecular resistance acting in parallel with a visco-hyperelastic anisotropic network resistance, each resistance being modified to account for damage effects by void growth with a variation of the void aspect ratio. The effective contribution of the hyperelastic particles to the overall composite behaviour is taken into account by treating the overall system in a composite scheme framework. The capabilities of the proposed constitutive model are checked by comparing experimental data with numerical simulations. The deformation behaviour of rubber-toughened poly( methyl methacrylate) was investigated experimentally in tension at a temperature of 80 C and for different constant true strain rates monitored by a video-controlled technique. The reinforcing phase is of the soft core-hard shell type and its diameter is of the order of one hundred nanometers. The particle volume fraction was adjusted from 15% to 45% by increments of 5%. The stress-strain response and the inelastic volumetric strain are found to depend markedly on particle volume fraction. For a wide range of rubber volume fractions, the model simulations are in good agreement with the experimental results. Finally, a parametric analysis demonstrates the importance of accounting for void shape, matrix plastic anisotropy and rubber content. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.