Strain ratio and volume change during tension and compression creep of thermoplastics

Creep tests up to 106 seconds in tension and compression were conducted on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polypropylene (PP). Measurements of longitudinal and lateral strain provided values for tension and compression strain ratio. These increased with time and stress for PMMA and PVC from about 0.38 to 0.44. The results for PP increased from 0.44 to above 0.5 in. tension and showed a decreasing ratio in compression, which suggested a time and stress dependent structural change. Volumetric strain was computed from the linear strains and plotted against stress and axial strain. Except at 102 seconds, the relationships were non-linear up to volumetric strains of about 0.3% and in the cases of PMMA and PVC there were greater changes of volume in tension than compression.