Design of a thermostimulated creep measurement system using magnetic fields for polymers

A thermostimulated creep (TSCr) measurement system for polymers has been designed and tested. The objective was to measure very precisely the thermomechanical properties of polymers with samples having a thickness ranging from 1 mm to 10 μm. The use of magnetic fields to apply the stress on the samples revealed itself as a powerful mean to achieve our goal. The apparatus was tested and validated through three series of experiments. The first study carried on the secondary retardation mode that is representative of the impact strength properties of a polycarbonate sample. Then the evolution with physical aging of the primary retardation mode of polycarbonate was observed. Finally, we measured the retardation modes of a semicrystalline linear low density polyethylene with a thin film geometry to verify the good resolution of the new TSCr design.