Effect of an oxidative environment on the creep compliance of poly(ether urethane urea)

Secondary creep of unstabilized poly(ether urethane urea) (PEUU) in an oxidative environment appears as a linear time‐dependent component superimposed on the logarithmic, viscoelastic response. The surfaces of unstabilized PEUU crept in H2O2/CoCl2 have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy and ATR–FTIR. By examining PEUU crept for various periods of time, it is found that surface damage proceeds at gradually increasing size scales, culminating in large voids. It is hypothesized that the initial chain scission creates a flaw that grows in size under the influence of the applied load into a “nano‐pit,” which grows further by coalescence into a pit and, finally, a void. The initial stages of voiding occur during an induction period when there is no measurable effect on the creep response. It is possible to estimate the average compliance of the damaged PEUU by assuming a composite model with an undamaged center layer sandwiched between damaged surface layers. When the contribution of the surface layers to the creep compliance is estimated from the creep curves, the average compliance of the damaged layer is found to be about 1.6 times higher than that of the undamaged PEUU. Independent calculations of the damaged layer compliance from the void fraction indicate that the damaged layer behaves as a flexible foam in the early stages, then as a more rigid foam at longer creep times. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.