Simulation of mechanical response in crystallizing polymers: crystallization under a constant shear force

The mechanical response of crystallizing polymers under shearing controlled by a constant load is simulated by the model developed by Negahban et al. [10]. It is shown that under a constant shear load the shear strain increases with crystallization. The history of this shear strain directly affects the residual shape of the material after unloading. The shear modulus and elastic moduli are calculated as functions of the shear load and the degree of crystallization. Comparison with simulations based on a constant shear strain shows that some material moduli have the same functional relations and others are different. Specific simulations based on parameters selected for natural rubber are presented and compared to the response under constant shear strain.