Toward molecular modeling of ductility and drawablity of semi-crystalline polymers

We contrast the mechanical responses of different crystallizable polymers such as PLA, PET, PA and PS in their respective amorphous and semicrystalline states using uniaxial extension and compression at varying temperatures below and above T_g. Coherent phenomenology will be presented in terms of the stress response to ongoing deformation, stress relaxation behavior from both preyield and postyield, creep and real-time POM images, aiming to develop a detailed understanding of the mechanical/structural interactions between amorphous and crystalline regions. Through these experiments, we expect to gain more insights regarding the molecular mechanisms for ductility (T < T_g)/drawability (T > T_g) and effective strategies to avoid brittleness/non-drawability.