Formulation of non-linear viscoelastic–viscoplastic constitutive equation for polyamide 6 resin

Abstract In this study, a non-linear viscoelastic–viscoplastic constitutive equation for polyamide 6 (PA6) is formulated and a new model is suggested for the viscoplastic part of the equation. The suggested model is empirical but can accurately predict the viscoplastic strain. In this study, creep and recovery tests are conducted to evaluate the viscoplastic strain. Using a non-linear dashpot, a viscoplastic strain is formulated and its parameters are identified for PA6. In addition, a stress relaxation test is conducted, and the relationship between the viscoelastic strain and stress is identified when considering the viscoplastic strain. In this study, the time–temperature superposition principle is thoroughly applied to include the effect of elevated temperature on the viscoelastic–viscoplastic behavior. All material constants in the non-linear viscoelastic–viscoplastic constitutive equation including the time–temperature superposition principle for PA6 are presented in this study.