Relaxation Times

Equation of the strain of a Maxwell Element

• is the change in strain
  
  
• is the change in time
  
  
• is the modulus of a spring [Sperling-461], also called Young's modulus [Sperling-304]
  
  
• is the change in stress
  
  
• is stress [Sperling-462]
  
  
• is the relaxation time for a Maxwell element.
  
  

Time Dependence of Strain for a Maxwell element
(which consists of a spring and a dashpot in series)



Time Dependence of Strain for a dashpot (Sperling-462)



The stress of a spring (Hooke's Law)

[McCrum-122] Alpha and Beta Relaxations are observed when a time constant for a specific molecular motion passes through the time constant. of the mechanical experiment. Said another way, you vary the frequency of the mechanical signal you subject the polymer to, and when the frequency matches an internal frequency of the polymer, there is a relaxation.

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Last Update- June 29, 1995- wld

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