Skip to main content

Rate and Time-Dependent Failure: Mechanisms and Predictive Models

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
  • 5738 Accesses

Abstract

No text on polymer science and viscoelasticity is complete without a discussion of time-dependent failure and just as with other structural materials, failure must be defined. In this chapter, only failure by a creep to yield or a creep to rupture (separation) will be considered. We will address both the mechanisms of deformation that often precede these types of failures as well as modeling to describe this behavior. The primary focus will be on one-dimensional models but many of the models discussed have been or can be extended to three-dimensions. The procedures to be discussed are not new and are relatively easy to use by the design engineer to make estimates of the time for either yielding or rupture to occur. While no discussion of either viscoelastic fracture mechanics or fatigue crack growth will be given these are very important topics and the reader is referred to Knauss (1973, 2003) for the former and to Kinloch and Young (1983) for the latter for an in-depth discussion of these topics. Fracture based approaches for prediction of time to failure work best when a crack of a known size exists. The same is true for fatigue as a relation between crack growth rates and time to failure can be established. Other approaches provided by damage mechanics (Krajcinovic 1983) and viscoplasticity (Lubliner 1990) provide a more rational but highly mathematical approach to damage and/or failure evolution for three-dimensional stress states and are perhaps best suited for numerical procedures such as the finite element method. Here we restrict ourselves to simpler, analytic approaches to introduce the fundamental issues.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    The birefringence photos here and elsewhere were taken by viewing a specimen using polarizing filters such that stress or strain induced birefringence could be viewed. The fringes are termed isochromatics because if they are viewed with polychromatic light they will appear in various colors dependent upon the stress field. The fringes are black here as the specimen is illuminated with monochromatic light. In this text the isochromatics are not being used for stress or strain analysis but simply to enhance the ability to view the shear band region. For more information, see Optical Methods in engineering Analysis by G. Cloud, Cambridge University Press

  2. 2.

    For a review of early models, see Sancaktar (1987). Also see Cristescu (1967; Cristescu and Suliciu 1982) for the references cited as well as further discussion. For a more complete description of plasticity and viscoplasticity see, Shames and Cozzarelli (1992) as well as Bodner (1975) and Lubliner (1990).

References

  • Aklonis, J.J. and McKnight, W.J., Introduction to Polymer Viscoelasticity, JW, NY, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arenz, R.J., “Nonlinear Shear Behavior of a Poly(vinyl acetate) Material”, Mech. of Time-Dependent Materials 2, 1999, p. 287–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauwens-Crowet, C, Bauwens, J.C., and Holmes, G., J. Polymer Sci., A2 (7), 1969, p. 735.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bingham, E.C., Fluidity and Plasticity, McGraw Hill, NY, 1922.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bodner, S.R. and Partom, Y., “Constitutive Equations for Elastic-Viscoplastic Strain-Hardening Materials”, J. of Applied Mechanics, June 1975, p. 385–389.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bordonaro, C.M. and Krempl, E., “The Effect of Strain Rate on the Deformation and Relaxation Behavior of Nylon 6/6 at Room Temperature”, Polymer Engineering and Science, V. 32, No. 16, Aug. 1992, p. 1066–1072.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brinson, H. F., “The Ductile Fracture of Polycarbonate,” Experimental Mechanics, Feb. 1969, p. 72–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brinson, H. F., “The Viscoelastic Behavior of a Ductile Polymer,” Deformation and Fracture of High Polymers, (H. Kausch, et al., Ed.’s.) Plenum Press, NY, 1973, p. 397–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brinson, H. F., and Das Gupta, A., “The Strain Rate Behavior of Ductile Polymers,” Experimental Mechanics, Dec. 1975, p. 458–463.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brinson, H. F., Renieri, M. P., and Herakovich, C. T., “Rate and Time Dependent Failure of Structural Adhesives,” Fracture Mechanics of Composites, STP 593, ASTM, Phil. PA, 1975, p. 177–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brueller, O.S., “Energy-related failure criteria of thermoplastics”, Polymer Engineering and Science, 23, 3, Feb. 1981, p. 145–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carfagno, S.P. and Gibson, R.J., A Review of Equipment Aging Theory and Technology, EPRI Report, NP-1558, Sept. 1980

    Google Scholar 

  • Cartner, J.S., The Nonlinear Viscoelastic Behavior of Adhesives and Chopped Fiber Composites, M.S. Thesis, VPI&SU, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cartner, J.S., Griffith, W. I., and Brinson, H. F., “The Viscoelastic Behavior of Composite Materials for Automotive Applications,” Composite Materials in the Automotive Industry, ASME, NY, 1978, pp. 159–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Courtney, T.H., Mechanical Behavior of Materials, McGraw-Hill, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cristescu, N., Dynamic Plasticity, N. Holland, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cristescu, N. and Suliciu, I., Viscoplasticity, Kluwer, Boston, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crochet, M.J., “Symmetric Deformations of Viscoelastic-Plastic Cylinders”, J. of Applied Mechanics, 33, 1966, p. 321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dillard, D.A., Creep and Creep Rupture of Laminated Graphite/Epoxy Composites, Ph.D. Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dowling, N. Mechanical Behavior of Materials. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  • Drucker, D.C., “Basic Concepts of Plasticity and Viscoelasticity”, in Handbook of Engineering Mechanics (W. Flugge, Ed.), McGraw Hill, NY, 1962.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freudenthal, A.M., The Inelastic Behavior of Engineering Materials and Structures, JW, 1950.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glasstone, S, Laidler, K.J. and Iyring, H., The Theory of Rate Processes, McGraw Hill, 1941.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffith, W.I., Accelerated Characterization of Graphite/Epoxy Composites, Ph.D. Thesis, VPI&SU, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guedes, R.M., “Mathematical Analysis of Energies for Viscoelastic Materials and Energy Based Failure Criteria for Creep Loading”, Mech. of Time-Dependent Materials 8: 169–192, 2004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halpin, J.C. and Polley, H.W., “Observations on the Fracture of Viscoelastic Bodies”, J. Composite Materials, Vol. 1, 1967, p. 64–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hetenyi, M. “A Study in Photoplasticity”, Proc. First U.S. National Congr. Appl. Mech, 1952.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hiel, C., The Nonlinear Viscoelastic Response of Resin Matrix Composite Laminates, Ph.D. Thesis, Free University of Brussels (VUB), 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinloch, A.J., and Young, R.J., Fracture Behavior of Polymers, Applied Science, London, 1983; 2nd ed., 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knauss, W.G., “Rupture Phenomena In Viscoelastic Materials”, Ph. D. Thesis, California Institute of Technology, 1963.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knauss, The mechanics of polymer fracture, Lead article in Apl. Mech. Rev., Jan. 26, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knauss, W.G., “Viscoelasticity and the time-dependent fracture of polymers”, in Vol. 2 of Comprehensive Structural Integrity, I. Milne, R.O. Ritchie and B. Karihaloo, (Eds.), Elsevier, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krajcinovic, Dusan, “Creep of structures - A continuous damage mechanics approach,” J. Structural Mechanics, Vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 1–11. 1983.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landel, R.F., and Fedders, R.F., “Rupture of Amorphous Unfilled Polymers”, in Fracture Processes in Polymeric Solids (B. Rosen, ed.), 1964, p. 361–485.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lohr, J.J., “Yield Stress Master Curves for Various Polymers below Their Glass Transition Temperatures”, J. of Rheology, vol. 9, Issue 1, March 1965, pp. 65–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu, J. and Ravi-Chandar, K. (1999) Inelastic deformation and localization in polycarbonate under tension. Int. J. Solids Struct., 36, 391.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Lubliner, Jacob, Plasticity Theory, Macmillan, NY, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ludwik, P., Phys. Z., 10, 1909, p. 411–417.

    Google Scholar 

  • McClintock, F.A. and Argon, A., Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Addison-Wesley, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malvern, L.E., “The Propagation of Longitudinal Waves of Plastic Deformation in a Bar of Material Exhibiting a Strain-Rate Effect”, J. of Applied Mechanics, 18, p. 203–208, 1951.

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, E., Introduction to Plastics and Composites, Marcel Dekker, NY, 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nadai, A., Theory of Flow and Fracture of Solids, McGraw-Hill, 1950.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagdi, P.M. and Murch, S.A., “On the Mechanical Behavior of Viscoelastic-Plastic Solids” J. of Applied Mechanics, 30, 1963, p. 321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, S.J., Liechti, K.M. and Roy, S.: Simplified bulk experiments and hygrothermal nonlinear viscoelasticity, Mech. Time-Depend Mat. 8, 303–344 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perzyna, P., “Modified Theory of Viscoplasticity: Applications to Advanced Flow and Instability Phenomena”, Arch. Mech. (Warsaw), 32, 3, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prandtl, Z. Angew. Math. Mech., 9, p. 91–100, 1928.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reiner, M. and Weissenberg, K., “A Thermodynamical Theory of the Strength of Materials”, Rheological Leaflet, 10, 1939, p. 12–20. (See also: “A Thermodynamical Theory of the Strength of Materials”, in Rosen, B., ed., Fracture Processes in Polymeric Solids (B. Rosen, ed.), 1964, Wiley-Interscience, NY, 1964)

    Google Scholar 

  • Reiner, M., Advanced Rheology, H.K. Lewis, London, 1971.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renieri MP, Herakovich, CT, Brinson, HF. Rate and time dependent behavior of structural adhesives, Virginia Tech Report, VPI-E-76-7, April, 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sancaktar, E., Applied Mechanics Reviews, 1987, p. 1393.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandhu, R.S., A survey of failure theories of isotropic and anisotropic materials, Technical Report, AFFDL –TR-72-71, Jan. 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shames, I.H. and Cozzarelli, F.A., Elastic and Inelastic Stress Analysis, Prentice Hall, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, T.L., “Deformation and Failure of Plastics and Elastomers”, Polymer Engineering and Science, V. 5, No. 5, Oct. 1965, p. 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward, I.M. and Hadley, D.W., An Introduction to the Mechanical Properties of Solid Polymers, JW, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yeow, Y.T., “Creep Rupture Behavior of Unidirectional Advanced Composites”, Materials Science and Engineering, 45, 1980, p. 237–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, M. “Advances in strength theories for materials under complex stress state in the 20th Century”, Applied Mechanics Reviews, Vol. 55, no 3, May 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, M.J. and Brinson, H.F., “Cumulative Creep Damage of Polycarbonate and Polysulfone”, Experimental Mechanics, June 1986, p. 155–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhurkov, S.N., Kinetic Concept of the Strength of Solids”, Int. J. of Fracture Mech., Vol. 1, 1965.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Brinson, H.F., Brinson, L.C. (2015). Rate and Time-Dependent Failure: Mechanisms and Predictive Models. In: Polymer Engineering Science and Viscoelasticity. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7485-3_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7485-3_11

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-7484-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-7485-3

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics