Shi Z, Zhao W (2026)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2026
Book Volume: 218
Article Number: 105690
DOI: 10.1016/j.mechmat.2026.105690
AbstractMolecular dynamics simulations are performed to examine how nanoparticles (NPs) affect yielding and strain hardening in glassy polymer nanocomposites under uniaxial tension. The roles of NP content, chain length, and temperature are systematically investigated in the pre-failure deformation regime. NP incorporation consistently increases the yield stress, whereas its influence on strain hardening depends strongly on chain length and becomes significant only for sufficiently entangled systems. Analysis of non-affine deformation shows that NPs induce an geometric confinement of plastic activity, redistributing local rearrangements into interparticle regions while particle-associated domains remain comparatively inactive. This confinement increases resistance to the onset of macroscopic flow, while strain hardening is governed by the load-bearing capacity of the polymer network. These effects are incorporated into a constitutive framework through mechanistically-informed extensions of flow resistance and orientation relaxation, demonstrating that NP-induced geometric confinement provides a mechanistic basis for strengthening in glassy polymer nanocomposites without introducing additional deformation mechanisms.
APA:
Shi, Z., & Zhao, W. (2026). Nanoparticle-induced geometric confinement of plastic activity and its constitutive implications in glassy polymer nanocomposites. Mechanics of Materials, 218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmat.2026.105690
MLA:
Shi, Zhe, and Wuyang Zhao. "Nanoparticle-induced geometric confinement of plastic activity and its constitutive implications in glassy polymer nanocomposites." Mechanics of Materials 218 (2026).
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