The Essential Handbook of Polymer Terms and Attributes

213 Stress-Strain Curve

DOI: 10.1201/9781003161318-213

Stress-strain curve of a polymer shows the response of a polymer material to an applied (usually tensile) stress. A typical stress-strain curve for a polymer is illustrated in Figure 213.1.

• Yield strength of a polymer refers to the maximum stress that can be developed in a polymer material without causing plastic deformation.
• Tensile strength is defined at the polymer fracture point and can be lower than the yield strength.
• Young’s modulus is the ratio of stress to the strain in the linearly elastic region.

$E=\frac{\text{Tensile}\text{Stress}(\sigma )}{\text{Tensile}\text{Stress}(\epsilon )}$

Different types of polymers show different stress-strain behaviors (Figure 213.2). Stress-strain behaviors of a polymer are also temperature dependent ...