Prediction of the creep behaviour of polyethylene and molybdenum from stress relaxation experiments

In many applications it is useful to be able to convert observed creep data of a material to corresponding stress relaxation data or vice versa. If the material exhibits non-linear viscoelasticity such a conversion can be rather difficult. In this paper two semi-empirical flow equations, the power law and the exponential law, are used to convert stress relaxation data into corresponding creep behaviour data. These two flow equations are often used to describe non-linear viscoelastic behaviour. The procedure adopted here is based on the assumption that the creep data during the experiment decrease due to an increase in the internal stress level, thus decreasing the effective stress for flow. The conversion method is applied to high density polyethylene and polycrystalline molybdenum at room temperature. In general predictions using the power law are in better agreement with the experimental results than predictions using the exponential formula. The concepts of secondary and ceasing creep are discussed in terms of build-up of internal stress during the creep process.