Stress Relaxation and Tensile Modulus of Polymeric Fibers

Abstract

With increasingly diversified demands on the mechanical properties of polymeric fibers, the question of whether properties can be varied independently or are related has become imperative. This report is concerned with the relation between tensile modulus and stress relaxation. The modulus-elongation curve of various fibers (poly ester, polyamide, viscose rayon, and aramid) strongly correlates with the residual stress in stress-relaxation experiments. Only in case of polyethylene are there some deviations. Theoretical and practical aspects pertaining to the experimentally observed correlation are discussed.