| Abstract: | Microcellular polycarbonate is a novel cellular material with cells on the order of 10 μm in diameter and a cell density on the order of 109 cells per cm3. In this study the room temperature creep response of microcellular polycarbonate is experimentally determined and compared with the creep behavior of polycarbonate. The viscoelastic response of polycarbonate and microcellular polycarbonate is characterized using Schapery's theory of nonlinear viscoelasticity. Polycarbonate exhibited a nonlinear creep response at stress levels above 24.13 MPa, while the nonlinear behavior in microcellular polycarbonate was initiated at lower stress levels. Creep strains of microcellular polycarbonate contain a significantly higher viscoplastic component compared with the unfoamed material. |
