Mechanical Properties of Crystalline and Semicrystalline Polymer Systems

This chapter discusses mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, fracture mechanism, and deformation behavior of well-understood crystalline and semicrystalline polymer systems. Due to the complex shape of crystalline and semicrystalline polymer systems, sometimes it becomes challenging to explain the behavior of these polymers. The molecular theory also helps to explain the mechanical behavior of polymer to some extent. The sharp melting point of crystalline and semicrystalline polymer makes them challenging to thermoform. These materials are anisotropic inflow, so they shrink in the direction transverse to the flow than they do along the flow direction. It results in dimension instability. The strong intermolecular forces in the chain cause the formation of tough plastics, which perform exceptionally well in applications involving wear, bearing, and structural loads. Crystalline and Semicrystalline polymer exhibit organized and tightly packed molecular chains for which the mechanical behavior of those materials becomes very rigid and stiff compared to other polymer systems. Apart from that, the chapter provides insights on liquid crystalline polymer systems and bioinspired polymeric materials. Further, the chapter has encompassed the strengthening mechanism of polymer composite systems involving the role of an interface and the effect of nanoparticle addition with their size and concentration variation.