A perspective on the time‐dependent structure and properties of amorphous polymer

Abstract A molecular mechanism of viscoelastic deformation is presented. Amorphous polymers are characterized as a heterogeneous network of nanoscale cells. A “cell” is a homogeneous region within the network. Each cell phase fluctuates between the glassy and elastomer states with a period τ. The va...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Thomas Juska
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-01-01
Series:SPE Polymers
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/pls2.10160
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832582723209789440
author Thomas Juska
author_facet Thomas Juska
author_sort Thomas Juska
collection DOAJ
description Abstract A molecular mechanism of viscoelastic deformation is presented. Amorphous polymers are characterized as a heterogeneous network of nanoscale cells. A “cell” is a homogeneous region within the network. Each cell phase fluctuates between the glassy and elastomer states with a period τ. The values of τ vary from cell to cell over several orders of magnitude and are strong functions of temperature. Whether a given cell responds as glassy or elastomeric depends on the ratio between its period of phase fluctuation (τj) and the period of observation (1/f), where f is the test frequency. We express this ratio, the Deborah number, as (τj × f), and present equations for modulus and energy loss as functions of (τj × f). The condition (τj × f) = 1 defines the glass transition of a cell, which arises cell‐by‐cell over a range of temperature, or over a range of time under stress. Viscoelastic deformation occurs if a cell changes phase while under stress. Energy stored during glassy state deformation is lost if the cell fluctuates to the elastomeric state. Stress is out of phase with strain, because strain rate controls the level of stress in glassy cells between phase fluctuations. Highlights A molecular mechanism of viscoelasticity is presented that does not involve viscous flow. Amorphous polymer is a heterogeneous network of nanoscale cells. Cells fluctuate in phase between glassy and elastomeric states due to their size. Time‐dependent properties are caused by time‐dependent structure. Energy is lost when glass phase cells under stress fluctuate to the elastomer phase.
format Article
id doaj-art-f3c61de032b54c159f06577339f4c158
institution Kabale University
issn 2690-3857
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series SPE Polymers
spelling doaj-art-f3c61de032b54c159f06577339f4c1582025-01-29T12:52:33ZengWileySPE Polymers2690-38572025-01-0161n/an/a10.1002/pls2.10160A perspective on the time‐dependent structure and properties of amorphous polymerThomas Juska0Applied Research Laboratory Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USAAbstract A molecular mechanism of viscoelastic deformation is presented. Amorphous polymers are characterized as a heterogeneous network of nanoscale cells. A “cell” is a homogeneous region within the network. Each cell phase fluctuates between the glassy and elastomer states with a period τ. The values of τ vary from cell to cell over several orders of magnitude and are strong functions of temperature. Whether a given cell responds as glassy or elastomeric depends on the ratio between its period of phase fluctuation (τj) and the period of observation (1/f), where f is the test frequency. We express this ratio, the Deborah number, as (τj × f), and present equations for modulus and energy loss as functions of (τj × f). The condition (τj × f) = 1 defines the glass transition of a cell, which arises cell‐by‐cell over a range of temperature, or over a range of time under stress. Viscoelastic deformation occurs if a cell changes phase while under stress. Energy stored during glassy state deformation is lost if the cell fluctuates to the elastomeric state. Stress is out of phase with strain, because strain rate controls the level of stress in glassy cells between phase fluctuations. Highlights A molecular mechanism of viscoelasticity is presented that does not involve viscous flow. Amorphous polymer is a heterogeneous network of nanoscale cells. Cells fluctuate in phase between glassy and elastomeric states due to their size. Time‐dependent properties are caused by time‐dependent structure. Energy is lost when glass phase cells under stress fluctuate to the elastomer phase.https://doi.org/10.1002/pls2.10160amorphousglass transitionmolecular dynamicsstructure–property relationsviscoelastic properties
spellingShingle Thomas Juska
A perspective on the time‐dependent structure and properties of amorphous polymer
SPE Polymers
amorphous
glass transition
molecular dynamics
structure–property relations
viscoelastic properties
title A perspective on the time‐dependent structure and properties of amorphous polymer
title_full A perspective on the time‐dependent structure and properties of amorphous polymer
title_fullStr A perspective on the time‐dependent structure and properties of amorphous polymer
title_full_unstemmed A perspective on the time‐dependent structure and properties of amorphous polymer
title_short A perspective on the time‐dependent structure and properties of amorphous polymer
title_sort perspective on the time dependent structure and properties of amorphous polymer
topic amorphous
glass transition
molecular dynamics
structure–property relations
viscoelastic properties
url https://doi.org/10.1002/pls2.10160
work_keys_str_mv AT thomasjuska aperspectiveonthetimedependentstructureandpropertiesofamorphouspolymer
AT thomasjuska perspectiveonthetimedependentstructureandpropertiesofamorphouspolymer