Tingyu Xu, Yunhan Zhang, Fan Peng, Renkuan Cao, Ziwei Liu, Hao Sun, Liangbin Li
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Mechanical deformation is known to affect the stability of glassy systems. Some studies report that small-amplitude loading leads to overaging, while large-amplitude loading rejuvenates the system. Recent experiments, however, have shown no overaging effect in lightly cross-linked poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) glasses, raising concerns about previous simulation results. Given the importance of understanding physical aging, this work uses coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to examine the impact of cyclic loading/unloading on glassy polymers. The results indicate that overaging occurs in glassy polymer systems only below the Vogel–Fulcher–Tammann temperature (TVFT). Above TVFT, mechanical perturbations with amplitudes below the critical strain significantly accelerate the structural relaxation. Counterintuitively, these perturbations have minimal effect on inherent energy and all examined structural parameters, while particle mobility shows a clear proportional enhancement and increased spatial correlation.
期刊介绍:
Macromolecules publishes original, fundamental, and impactful research on all aspects of polymer science. Topics of interest include synthesis (e.g., controlled polymerizations, polymerization catalysis, post polymerization modification, new monomer structures and polymer architectures, and polymerization mechanisms/kinetics analysis); phase behavior, thermodynamics, dynamic, and ordering/disordering phenomena (e.g., self-assembly, gelation, crystallization, solution/melt/solid-state characteristics); structure and properties (e.g., mechanical and rheological properties, surface/interfacial characteristics, electronic and transport properties); new state of the art characterization (e.g., spectroscopy, scattering, microscopy, rheology), simulation (e.g., Monte Carlo, molecular dynamics, multi-scale/coarse-grained modeling), and theoretical methods. Renewable/sustainable polymers, polymer networks, responsive polymers, electro-, magneto- and opto-active macromolecules, inorganic polymers, charge-transporting polymers (ion-containing, semiconducting, and conducting), nanostructured polymers, and polymer composites are also of interest. Typical papers published in Macromolecules showcase important and innovative concepts, experimental methods/observations, and theoretical/computational approaches that demonstrate a fundamental advance in the understanding of polymers.