Tensile yield in poly(4‐methyl pentene‐1)

Uniaxial tension tests to the yield point were performed on a crystalline polymer, poly(4‐methyl pentene‐1) (PMP) as a function of temperature from 21° to 200°C at a strain rate of 2 min−1. After testing, the specimens showed considerable stress whitening as a result of microvoid formation. Yield energy was found to be a linear function of temperature extrapolating to zero at the melting point (240°C). Thus, the behavior of this crystalline polymer is similar to that of glassy polymers, but with the melting temperature, rather than the glass transition temperature, as the reference point. The ratio of thermal to mechanical energy input to produce yielding is an order of magnitude smaller for PMP than it is for glassy polymers. The ratio of yield stress to Young's modulus is about 0.02, which is typical for polymers. Yield stress is a linear function of log strain rate, which implies that yielding can be described as a segmental flow rate process in which the applied stress biases the activation energy. The activation volume is on the order of 20 monomer unit volumes and increases as the temperature increases. The activation energy is 19 kcal/mol.