Effects of Annealing and Prior History on Enthalpy Relaxation in Glassy Polymers. 5. Mathematical Modeling of Nonthermal Preaging Perturbations

Computer simulation studies of the effects of hydrostatic pressure, tensile stress, and va- por-induced swelling on the physical aging of glass poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) are presented. Published data indicate that application and rapid release of these nonthermal perturbations before aging produce glasses with elevated enthalpies and increased aging rates compared with those of unstressed glasses. These experimental observations are well described by a modified version of a phenomenological model which gives a good account of purely thermal history effects (Hodge, I. M.; Berens, A. R. Macromolecules 1982, 15, 762).