Dynamic-tensile-extrusion response of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE)

Dynamic-Tensile-Extrusion (Dyn-Ten-Ext) experiments have been utilized to probe the dynamic tensile responses of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE). These fluoropolymers exhibit more irregular deformation and stochastic-based damage and failure mechanisms than the stable plastic elongation and shear instabilities observed in metals. The technique elucidates a number of tensile mechanisms that are consistent with quasi-static, SHPB, and Taylor Impact results. Similar to the observed ductile-to-brittle transition for Taylor Impact loading, PCTFE failure occurs at a peak velocity greater than for PTFE. However, for the Dyn-Ten-Ext PCTFE exhibits even greater resistance to failure due to the tensile stress-state. While PTFE generates a large number of small fragments when extruded through the die, PCTFE draws out a smaller number of larger particles that dynamically evolve during the extrusion process through a combination of local necking mechanisms and bulk relaxation. Under Dyn-Ten-Ext loading, the propensity of PTFE to fail along normal planes is observed without indication of any localization, while the PCTFE clearly forms necks during the initial extrusion process that continue to evolve.