A constitutive model for semi-crystalline polymer deformation involving lamellar fragmentation

The mechanism of lamellar fragmentation in the semi-crystalline polymers with spherulitic structure, is observed at the beginning of plastic flow. It causes significant damage. This elementary mechanism is considered here as a result of plastic deformation coupled with damage, in the framework of generalized standard materials. The simplicity and the efficiency of the proposed approach come from the fact that the semi-crystalline polymers are considered as a macromolecular network bridled by intra-lamellar cohesive forces. Tensile tests and relaxation tests demonstrate the usefulness of a damage–plasticity coupled model.