Paper Number
SG9 

Session
Solids and Glasses

Title
A molecular model for mechanics of polymer glasses

Presentation Date and Time
October 8, 2014 (Wednesday) 5:15

Track / Room
Track 5 / Washington B

Authors (Click on name to view author profile)

1. Wang, Shi-Qing (University of Akron)
2. Cheng, Shiwang (University of Akron, Department of Polymer Science)
3. Lin, Panpan (University of Akron, Polymer Science)
4. Li, Xiaoxiao (University of Akron)

Author and Affiliation Lines (in printed abstract book)
Shi-Qing Wang¹, Shiwang Cheng², Panpan Lin², and Xiaoxiao Li^1
1University of Akron, Akron, OH; ²Department of Polymer Science, University of Akron, Akron, OH

Speaker / Presenter 
Wang, Shi-Qing

Text of Abstract
Polymer glasses differ from most other types of glassy materials because they can be ductile under tensile extension. Remarkably, a ductile polymer can turn brittle and vice versa. For example, upon cooling, the glass changes from ductile to brittle at a temperature known as the brittle-ductile transition temperature (BDT). Physical ging causes the ductile glass to be brittle. Mechanical “rejuvenation” or pressurization brings a brittle polymer into a ductile state. Finally, one glass can be ductile more than 200 degrees below Tg while another polymer is already brittle even just 10 degree below Tg. Polystyrene and bisphenol A polycarbonate are at the two extremes in the family of polymer glasses. How to rationale such a wide range of behavior in terms of a molecular picture has been a challenging task. This talk describes a newly developed molecular model that can provide a coherent framework to understand deformation, yielding and failure of polymer glasses under large deformation.