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The tensile behavior of unfilled and 40 w?! talc-filled polypropylene h a s been de-
termined at four different temperatures (21.5,50, 75 and 100°C)and three different
strain rates (0.05, 0.5 and 5 min-'). Experimental results showed that both unfilled
and talc-filled polypropylenes were sensitive to strain rate and temperature. Stress-
strain curves of both materials were nonlinear even at relatively low strains. The
addition of talc to polypropylene increased the elastic modulus, but the yield
strength and yield strain were reduced. The temperature and strain rate sensitivi-
ties of these materials were also different. An energy-activated, rate sensitive Eyring
equation was used to predict the yield strength of both materials. It is shown that
both activation volume and activation of energy increased with the addition of talc
in polypropylene.
POLYMER ENGlNEERlNG AND SCIENCE, DECEMBER 2002, Vol. 42, No. 72 2449
Yuanwin Zhou and P. K. Mallick
talc-filled homopolymer polypropylene. Pellets of both occurred. The tensile properties of both materials at
materials were obtained from Ferro Corporation. The different test conditions are listed in Tables I and 2.
unfilled polypropylene pellets (Ferro NPPOOGC 16NA) Figures 2 and 3 show the effect of temperature on
were naturally white, while the talc-filled polypropyl- the stress-strain curves of unfilled polypropylene and
ene (Ferro WP40AC52BK) were black, indicating that talc-filled polypropylene in the L directions. At the
it contained carbon black as the colorant. The melt flow same strain rate, the overall stress level decreased
rates of these two materials were reported as 4 g/lO with increasing temperature. Both elastic modulus
min and 6.8 g / l O min, respectively (7).The higher melt and yield strength decreased with increasing tempera-
flow rate for the talc-filled polypropylene is due to the ture. While the yield strain of talc-filled polypropylene
presence of talc fillers. The glass transition tempera- increased with increasing temperature in the temper-
ture and melting point of polypropylene are reported ature range considered, the yield strain of unfilled
as -8°C and 176"C, respectively (8). polypropylene increased as the temperature was in-
Square plates, 150 mm X 150 mm, were injection creased up to 75°C: however, at 100°C, the yield strain
molded from the pellets in a single edge-gated mold of unfilled polypropylene decreased. This behavior is
with a central 25-mm-diameter co.re (Fig. I ) . A 90-ton similar to the results reported by Hartmann et aL (2).
injection molding machine was used to mold the plates. FLgures 2 and 3 also show the effect of strain rate on
The melt temperature, mold temperature and injection the stress-strain curves of unfilled polypropylene and
pressure were 230°C. 65°C and 5.5 MPa, respectively, talc-filled polypropylene parallel to the flow (L) direc-
for the unfilled polypropylene and, 230"C, 40°C and 2.7 tion. It is observed that the elastic modulus and yield
MPa for the 40 W ? talc-filled polypropylene. The plate strength increased with increasing strain rate for both
thickness was 2.5 mm. Dogbone-shaped specimens materials: however, the effect of strain rate on the yield
were prepared from these plates in two different direc- strain was relatively small for the three strain rates
tions-one parallel to the flow direction (L direction) investigated.
and the other normal to the flow direction (W direc- Figures 4a and 4b show comparisons of stress-
tion). The specimen dimensions were 100 mm in over- strain curves of unfilled polypropylene and talc-filled
all length, 50 mm in gauge length and 12.7 mm in polypropylene at a strain rate of 5 mir-' and temper-
gauge width. atures of 21.5"C and 100°C. As expected, talc-filled
Uniaxial tensile tests were performed on a n MTS polypropylene had a higher elastic modulus than un-
servohydraulic test machine equipped with a forced filled polypropylene. However, as can be observed in
air convection oven. A strain gauge extensometer (25- these figures as well as from Tables 1 and 2, the dif-
mm gauge length) was used to measure axial strain. ference in yield strengths of unfilled polypropylene
The tests were conducted a t 1.25, 12.5 a n d 125 and talc-filled polypropylene decreased with increas-
mm/min. Since the extensometer gauge length was ing temperature. The difference between the yield
25 mm, it is assumed that the strain rates were 0.05, strains of unfilled polypropylene and talc-filled poly-
0.5 and 5 min-'. The test temperatures were 21.5, 50, propylene also decreased with increasing tempera-
75 and 100°C. ture. This may be due to relaxation of thermal resid-
Three parameters were evaluated from each stress- ual stresses in the polypropylene matrix surrounding
strain curve: elastic modulus ( E ) ,yield strength (oy) the talc fillers as the test temperature was increased.
and yield strain ( E ~ ) Elastic
. modulus or Young's mod- The residual stresses were developed in the injection
ulus is the initial slope of the stress-strain curve. molding process as the polypropylene matrix cooled
Yield strength is assumed to be the maximum stress down from the melt temperature. This was due to the
observed in each stress-strain diagram and the strain large difference in the coefficients of thermal expan-
corresponding to the yield strength is the yield strain. sion of the polypropylene matrix and the talc filler.
Necking was observed in unfilled polypropylene speci- Figures 5a and 5b show comparisons of stress-strain
mens at temperatures other than 21.5"C. For talc- curves in the L and W directions. For unfilled polypro-
filled-filled polypropylene, slight necking was observed pylene (Fig. 5a),the yield strength and stress level
at 75 and lOO"C, but not at 21.5 and 50°C. after yielding were slightly higher in the W direction
than in the L direction. For talc-filled polypropylene
3. RESULTS (Fig. 5 b ) , the yield strength and stress levels after
Tensile stress-strain curves of d e d and talc-filled yielding were much higher in the L direction than in
polypropylene in the flow (L) direction under different the W direction. The yield strength in the W direction
test conditions are shown in Figs. 2 and 3, respec- was lower by almost 15%. The significant difference in
tively. Tensile stress-strain curves normal to the flow properties in the two mutually perpendicular direc-
(W) direction are similar in nature. From Figs. 2 and 3, tions indicates inherent anisotropy of the talc-filled
it can be observed that the stress-strain relationships polypropylene. From Fig. 5b, it can also be observed
of both unfilled and talc-filled polypropylene were non- that with increasing temperature, the difference be-
linear even at strains lower than the yield strain. Each tween the stress-strain curves of talc-filled polypropyl-
curve shows a maximum stress, which is assumed to ene in the L direction and the W direction became
be the yield strength of the material. After yielding, smaller. This may also be a n effect of relaxation of re-
stress decreased steadily with strain until fracture sidual stresses with increasing temperature.
2450 POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE, DECEMBER 2002, Vol. 42, No. 12
Effects of Temperature and Strain Rate. I
POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE, DECEMBER 2002, Vol. 42, No. 12 2451
Yuanxin Zhou and P. K . Mallick
40
30
h
7
cc
a
z
W
20
'
a
rc
-
ra
c
WY
10
20
h
CG
a
m
z
d)
c
Y
WY
10
-w
T a l c Filled P o l y p r o p y l e n e i L 1 )
o p I I
I
I I
0 00 0 10 0 20 0 30
Strain
FLg. 3. Stress-strain curves of 40 W Otalc-filkd polypropylene in thefiw (L]direction at various strain rates and temperatures.
Symbols are shown in Q. 2.
2452 POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE, DECEMBER 2002, Vol. 42, No. 12
Effects of Temperature and Strain Rate. I
4. STRAIN RATE SENSITMTY AND (Fig. 7). The following relationships were found to fit
TEMPEmTURE SENSITMTY OF UNFILLED the modulus and yield strength data and represent
AND TALC-FILLED POLYPROPYLENE the temperature and strain rate sensitivities of these
two materials.
From Figs. 2 and 3 and Tables 1 and 2, it can be
concluded that both unfilled polypropylene and 40
wtVo talc-filled polypropylene were temperature and + nil l n e~x p - hl(T- To)]
E l
80
(11
strain rate sensitive materials. Figure 6 shows the
variation of modulus E and yield strength a, with hi
at various temperatures for unfilled polypropylene e x p - h,(T- TO)] (2)
and talc-filled polypropylene in the flow (L) direction.
Similar variation was observed normal to the flow where, E,, uyo. do and To are reference elastic modu-
direction, Figure 6 shows that the relationships lus, reference yield strength, reference strain rate and
between E and l n i as well as u y and lni. at the tem- reference temperature, respectively. Two other param-
peratures investigated can be represented by single eters, m1,2 and appearing in Eqs 1 and 2 are
straight lines, the slopes of which give information defined as strain rate strengthening coefficient and
about the strain rate sensitivities of modulus and thermal softening Coefficient, respectively. Mathemati-
yield strength, respectively. The manner in which cally, they are defined as
modulus and yield strength decreased with increas-
ing temperature can be seen more clearly by plotting (3)
E and uy directly as a function of test temperature
POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE, DECEMBER 2002, Vol. 42, No. 12 2453
YuanxinZhou and P. K. Mallick
FUJ. 4. Comparison of stress-strain c w s of unJiued polypropylene and 40 w% talc-jZkd polypropylene at 21.5 and 100°C and
strain rate of 5 min-' (a) in theflow (L)direction and (b) normal to theflow direction.
2454 POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE, DECEMBER 2002, Vol. 42, No. 12
Eflects of Temperature and Strain Rate. I
--•
p- 0-
10
Unfilled Polypropylene
20
10
Fig. 5. Comparison of stress-strain m e s in theflow (L) direction and n o d to thejIow (WI direction at various temperatures
and strain rate of 5 min-' (4 u n w d polypropylene and (b) 40 w% talc-flled polypropylene. 0 21.5"C (L direction), 21.5"C+
&V direction), A 50°C (L. direction), A 50°C &V direction),0 75°C (L direction), 0 75°C IW direction), 0 100°C (L. direction), 100°C
(W direction).
* - - - - --- - _ - --+-- 1 I
40
- - _ --
- - - -3- - -Yield strength at temperature 2 1 X
Yield s t r e n g t h at temperature 50 C
"C iI
8 Yield strength at temperature 75 "C
Yield strength at temperature 100 _ 'CC_A-
- 1
- 30 h
rs
a
0
-8 -6 -4 -2
111 i:
Rg. 6a Effect of strain rate on elastic modulus and yield strength of unfiued polypropylene in t k @ w [L)direction.
+. - -I 30
1
Yield strength at temperature 11 .5 O C
I
45
c,
P,
0,.
Lrl
e
3
e
=t 30
-z-
-8 -6 -4 -2
in k
FLg. 6b. Effmt of strain rate on elastic modulus and yield strength of 40 w% t&-J.UedpolyprOpylene in t&@w (L]direction.
2456 POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE, DECEMBER 2002, Vol. 42, No. 12
Effects of Temperature and Strain Rate. I
~
Unfilled Polypropylene (L 1 )
p,.;.
1 . " . . ,.---
~
,-~. '
.._
x ~. - Y i e l d strength at strain rate 0.5 m i n
-,\:. '-
,
strength at strain rate 0 . 0 5 m i n - I
-1
6 4
...-
\>
- - ~-_,
:,Yield
?
,.
-*
- .+...
. .
C I .. '. +
,0- .'... -'I..,
~
- 4-1
--._
A < .-
-. .......-,
-.
- -.. ..
-3
-3 -.
-I .-4
m /E at strain rate 5 m i n
.E a t strain rate 0.5 mi"'
20 40 60 80 100
Temperature ( " C )
Fig. 7a. Effect of temperature on elastic modulus and yield strength of u n m d polypropylene in theflow (LJdirection.
50 --, - 40
Talc Filled P o l y p r o p y l e n e ( L 1 )
-4
40
,./-Yield strength a t strain rate 5 min-' ,-.~ -
I
30
c=
Yield strength a t strain rate 0.5 m in-! a
trength a t strain rate 0 . 0 5 m i n f:
v
30
. .
"-A',.
.
.. -
c
...- .-..
~
. 20
.,
__
-.-.
... -.. c
.,
~
d
.
~
-
1 .. Q)
-\
'.,-. i
20 -
-I
E a t strain rate 5 m i n
-I
,/ ,-E a t strain rate 0.5 m i n
10 -
,.' E at strain rate 0.05 mii'
0 0
20 40 60 80 100
Temperature ( " C )
Fig. 7b. Eff& of temperature on elastic modulus and yield strength of 40 w% talc-filledpolypropylenein theflow (L) direction
POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE, DECEMBER 2002, Vol. 42, No. 12 2457
Yuanxin Ztwu and P. K. Mallick
Table 3. Strain Rate StrengtheningCoefficients (ml and m,) and Thermal Softening Coefficients
(Al and 4)of Unfilled Polypropylene and Talc-Filled Polypropylene.
~~ ~~~
2458 POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE, DECEMBER 2002, Vol. 42, No. 12
Eflects of Temperature and Strain Rate. 1
Unfilled Polvpropylene ( L )
Talc Filled P o l s p i o p t l e n e ( L I
__
- Uiifilled Polypropylene (Wi)
-'u
Talc Filled Polvproyvlene ( K )
Fit 1 Linear. Y = B X t A
ill
m 0
0
i
i'
0
0 08 0 12 0 16 0 20 0 24
liv ( 1 / n m 3
Ftg. 8. P b t s to determine actiuation energies.
Temperature ("C)
POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE, DECEMBER 2002, Vol. 42, No. 12 2459
Yuanxinzhou and P. K. M d k k
2460 POLYMER ENG/NEERfffG AND SCIENCE, DECEM8ER 2002, Vol. 42, No. 12