The effects of intracrystalline chain diffusion on the non-linear mechanics of semicrystalline polymers.

Intracrystalline chain diffusion significantly influences the non-linear mechanics of PEO, with stress dependence on rate and temperature, unlike PCL which remains rate-independent.

• Why it matters: Understanding how intracrystalline chain diffusion affects polymer mechanics is crucial for designing materials with tailored deformability and strength, filling a key knowledge gap.
• What they did: The study compared two model polymers, PEO with fast ICD and PCL without ICD, using mechanical testing under varying strain rates and temperatures to analyze their stress-strain behavior.
• The result: Findings show that ICD enables chain relaxation affecting the network contribution in PEO, which could lead to improved control over polymer deformation properties in applications.