Yield criteria for amorphous glassy polymers

Three amorphous polymers, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene and polycarbonate were tested in uniaxial tension, uniaxial compression, plane strain compression and simple shear, over a range of temperatures. In each test, the yield point was precisely determined via residual strain measurements after unloading. With the yield stresses determined for these four different stress states, two pressure dependent shear yield criteria, i.e, the modified Von Mises and the modified Tresca criteria, were checked and compared. It is shown that (i) in each case (material, temperature, initial ageing state), the yield locus is satisfactorily described by either one or the other of the two criteria, and (ii) each criterion can be associated with a specific deformation mode (either homogeneous or localized in shear bands). As for the temperature dependence of the yield stress sensitivity to the hydrostatic pressure, it appears to be related to the glass transition temperature (Tg) and more precisely to the α and β relaxations. Finally, the pressure dependence of the yield stress can be possibly explained as being due to two effects: (i) the influence of pressure on molecular motions leading to yielding and (ii) the influence of pressure on the microstructural state.