Mechanical Properties of Solid Polymers

The latest edition of the definitive guide on the mechanical behaviors of polymers

In the newly revised fourth edition of Mechanical Properties of Solid Polymers, a team of distinguished researchers delivers an up-to-date discussion of all aspects of the mechanical behavior of solid polymers. The book explores finite elastic behavior, linear viscoelasticity, mechanical relaxations, mechanical anisotropy, non-linear viscoelasticity, yield behavior, and fracture.

The authors emphasize biopolymers – as opposed to petrochemical-based polymers – and incorporate a great deal of computational, numerical, and simulation content. They offer extensive discussions of the effects of recycling, as well as nanocomposites – including carbon nanotubes, graphene, and other materials.

Readers will also find:

• An updated comprehensive account of the properties of solid polymers
• Discussions of the behaviors of polymers through the mathematical techniques of solid mechanics
• Quantitative information about the response of each polymer to different mechanical stresses
• Discussions of the most suitable materials for different applications

Perfect for academics, researchers and industrial scientists, Mechanical Properties of Solid Polymers will also benefit students of materials science, physics, and chemistry students.

1. Structure of Polymers

2. The Mechanical Properties of Polymers: General Considerations

3. The Behaviour in the Rubber‐Like State: Finite Strain Elasticity

4. Rubber‐Like Elasticity

5. Linear Viscoelastic Behaviour

6. Mechanical Measurements for polymers

7. Experimental Studies of Linear Viscoelastic Behaviour as a Function of Frequency and Temperature: Time–Temperature Equivalence

8. Anisotropic Mechanical Behaviour

9. Polymer Composites: Macroscale and Microscale

10. NEW CHAPTER Semicrystalline polymers: structures and stress‐strain behaviour

11. Relaxation Transitions: Experimental Behaviour and Molecular Interpretation

12. Non‐linear Viscoelastic Behaviour

13. Yielding and Instability in Polymers

14. NEW CHAPTER Shape Memory Polymers

15. Fracture

John Sweeney, PhD, holds a Personal Chair in Polymer Mechanics at the University of Bradford. He is an expert in solid polymer behavior, including viscoelasticity, fracture mechanics, shear banding, large deformations, and nanocomposites.

Peter Hine, PhD, is Associate Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leeds, UK. His research is focused on understanding how the structure of polymers and polymer composites affect their mechanical properties.