A constitutive equation for creep in glassy polymers and composites

The creep of polymethyl methacrylate was investigated in four-point flexural loading mode. Measurements were taken at temperatures from 8$\sp\circ$C to 55$\sp\circ$C, time periods up to 450 hours and stresses ranging from 5 to 25 MN/m$\sp2$. The data obtained were successfully superposed vertically; the data reduction, in this way, was expressed in the form of a constitutive equation: e(t, T, S) = e$\sb0$ (ref). exp $\lbrack-(\Delta$H$\sb0$ $-$ $\beta$S)/R. (1/T $-$ 1/T$\sb{\rm ref}$)).exp ($\beta$/RT. (S $-$ S$\sb{\rm ref}$)). t$\sp{\rm n}$ which shows that the creep strain (e) may be obtained as a product of separable functions that express the effect of time (t), temperature (T) and stress (S). Subscript ref. indicates the chosen reference state. The creep behavior follows a power law time dependence with an exponent equal to 0.24. The apparent activation energy of the creep is independent of temperature (Arrhenius behavior), stress dependent and decreases with increasing stress