Microstrain investigation of polyethylene

The small‐strain mechanical behavior of crystalline polyethylene has been studied by using a microstrain technique with strain resolution on the order of 10−6. The strain rate was varied from 10−6 to 10−4 sec.−1, and a temperature range of 17–28°C. was investigated. A strong dependence on strain rate and temperature has been observed for the following parameters which characterize the mechanical response of polyethylene in the microstrain region: the initial modulus of the stress–strain curve, the deviation in strain from ideal linear elastic behavior at a given stress amplitude, and the energy dissipated in a deformation cycle. The Young's moduli that were observed by means of tensile tests in the microstrain region were only about 20% lower than the values reported in other investigations at kilocycle and megacycle frequencies. The experimental method made it possible to isolate a deformation process which was attributed to a crystallographic shear mechanism corresponding to a yield point of 27 psi. This shear mechanism is discussed in terms of the various shear processes, such as slip, twinning, and the orthorhombic–monoclinic phase change.