Timescale bridging in atomistic simulations of epoxy polymer mechanics using non-affine deformation theory

Fuente: arXiv
Salvato in:
Dettagli Bibliografici
Autori principali: Vaibhav, Vinay, Sirk, Timothy W., Zaccone, Alessio
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2024
Soggetti:
Accesso online:
Tags: Aggiungi Tag
Nessun Tag, puoi essere il primo ad aggiungerne!!
_version_ 1866913875675316224
author Vaibhav, Vinay
Sirk, Timothy W.
Zaccone, Alessio
author_facet Vaibhav, Vinay
Sirk, Timothy W.
Zaccone, Alessio
contents Developing a deep understanding of macroscopic mechanical properties of amorphous systems which lack structural periodicity, has posed a key challenge, not only at the level of theory but also in molecular simulations. Despite significant advancements in computational resources, there is a vast timescale disparity, more than 6 orders of magnitude, between mechanical properties probed in simulations compared to experiments. Using the theoretical framework of non-affine lattice dynamics (NALD), based on the instantaneous normal modes analysis determined through the dynamical matrix of the system, we study the viscoelastic response of a cross-linked epoxy system of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and poly(oxypropylene) diamine, over many orders of magnitude in deformation frequency, below the glass transition temperature. Predictions of the elastic modulus are satisfactorily validated against the non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations in the high-frequency regime, and against experimental data from dynamic mechanical analysis at frequencies $ \sim 1 {\rm Hz}$, hence successfully bridging the timescale gap. The comparison shows that non-affine displacements at the atomic level account for nearly two orders of magnitude reduction in the low-frequency elastic modulus of the polymer glass, compared to affine elasticity estimates. The analysis also reveals the role of internal stresses (as reflected in the instantaneous normal modes), which act as to strengthen the mechanical response.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2406_02113
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Timescale bridging in atomistic simulations of epoxy polymer mechanics using non-affine deformation theory
Vaibhav, Vinay
Sirk, Timothy W.
Zaccone, Alessio
Soft Condensed Matter
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Materials Science
Other Condensed Matter
Chemical Physics
Developing a deep understanding of macroscopic mechanical properties of amorphous systems which lack structural periodicity, has posed a key challenge, not only at the level of theory but also in molecular simulations. Despite significant advancements in computational resources, there is a vast timescale disparity, more than 6 orders of magnitude, between mechanical properties probed in simulations compared to experiments. Using the theoretical framework of non-affine lattice dynamics (NALD), based on the instantaneous normal modes analysis determined through the dynamical matrix of the system, we study the viscoelastic response of a cross-linked epoxy system of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and poly(oxypropylene) diamine, over many orders of magnitude in deformation frequency, below the glass transition temperature. Predictions of the elastic modulus are satisfactorily validated against the non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations in the high-frequency regime, and against experimental data from dynamic mechanical analysis at frequencies $ \sim 1 {\rm Hz}$, hence successfully bridging the timescale gap. The comparison shows that non-affine displacements at the atomic level account for nearly two orders of magnitude reduction in the low-frequency elastic modulus of the polymer glass, compared to affine elasticity estimates. The analysis also reveals the role of internal stresses (as reflected in the instantaneous normal modes), which act as to strengthen the mechanical response.
title Timescale bridging in atomistic simulations of epoxy polymer mechanics using non-affine deformation theory
topic Soft Condensed Matter
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Materials Science
Other Condensed Matter
Chemical Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.02113