Experimentally simulating adiabatic conditions: Approximating high rate polymer behavior using low rate experiments with temperature profiles

Polymers are frequently used in applications in which they may be exposed to high rate or impact loading and there is growing industrial importance in understanding their mechanical behavior at different strain rates. This paper describes research that has been performed to better understand and predict the dependence on strain rate of mechanical properties such as yield and flow stress, by investigating the relationship between rate dependence and temperature dependence. In particular, the mechanical behavior of poly(vinyl chloride) with 20 wt% plasticizer has been studied at strain rates from 0.001 s−1 to 4700 s−1 and temperatures from −60 to +80 °C. In addition to the use of time–temperature superposition, this paper presents a novel experimental method in which the yield stress and the effects of adiabatic heating at high strain rates are simulated in the low rate loading.