A New Approach to the Description of Mechanical Behavior of Polymer Glasses

Abstract Temperature-induced relaxation of plastic deformation of polymer glasses based on PMMA was studied. Plastic deformation of polymers and their mechanical properties were described in terms of contributions from low-temperature and high-temperature components to the recovery of residual deformation. The above components of relaxation were treated as physical parameters of deformation and relaxation in polymer glasses. The ratio between low-temperature and high-temperature components was shown to be controlled by physicochemical modification of polymer materials.