Effect of Size-Dependent Cavitation on Micro- to Macroscopic Mechanical Behavior of Rubber-Blended Polymer

In rubber-blended polymer, the onset of cavitation in the particles relaxes the high triaxiality stress state and suppresses the onset of crazing in the polymer. As a result, large plastic deformation is substantially promoted compared with single-phase polymer. On the other hand, it is also well known that the onset of cavitation depends on the size of particle. To investigate the size dependence of cavitation behavior in the particle, a theoretical analysis is done employing a void model under plane strain condition, which takes into account the surface tension and the limiting stretch of the void. Continuously, to study the effect of the size-dependent cavitation on the micro- to macroscopic mechanical behavior of the blend, a computational model is proposed for the blend consisting of irregularly distributed heterogeneous particles containing the void with surface force. The results indicate that when the size of the particle decreases to a critical value that depends on both the initial shear modulus of particle and the surface tension on the surface of void, the increase of the critical stress for the onset of cavitation becomes remarkable and consequently, the onset of cavitation is eliminated. When the particle is embedded in polymer, the relation between average normal stress, which is acting on the interface of particle and matrix, and volumetric strain of particle shows dependence on the size of particle but no dependence on the triaxiality of macroscopic loading condition. For the blend consisting of particles smaller than the critical value, the onset of cavitation is eliminated in particles and as a result, the conformation of the shape of particle to the localized shear band in matrix becomes difficult and the shear deformation behavior tends to occur all over the matrix. Furthermore, in this case, the area of the maximum mean stress is confined to the area adjacent to the particle and the value of it increases almost linearly throughout the whole deformation process, which would lead to the onset of crazing in matrix. On the other hand, it is clarified that the onset of cavitation is predominant in the localized microscopic region containing heterogeneous particles and therefore, the plastic deformation is promoted in this region.