Prediction of Aging Performance of Particle-Filled Polymer Composites Based on RVE Model

Abstract

In this study, the aging performance of particle-filled polymer composites (PFPCs) under thermo-oxidative conditions was investigated on multiple scales. High-temperature-accelerated tests were conducted to analyze the effects of aging time and temperature. A representative volume element (RVE) model was established for the PFPCs using a random particle-filling algorithm. A predictive model for the crosslink density was conducted based on the closed-loop chain reaction of polymer oxidation. According to the theory of polymer physics, the relation between the crosslink density and matrix modulus was determined. The particle/matrix interface in the RVE model was represented by the cohesive zone model (CZM). The parameters of the CZM were determined by the inversion techniques. Then, a comprehensive multiscale RVE model was constructed, which was applied to predict the modulus and dewetting strain of the aged PFPCs. The predicted results show good agreement with the test results, which verifies the reliability of our model.