Temperature Dependence of Nonlinear Elastic Moduli of Polystyrene

Nonlinear elastic properties of polymers and polymer-based composites are essential for accurate prediction of their response to dynamic loads, which is crucial in a wide range of applications. These properties can be affected by strain rate, temperature, and pressure. The temperature susceptibility of nonlinear elastic moduli of polymers remains poorly understood. We have recently observed a significant frequency dependence of the nonlinear elastic (Murnaghan) moduli of polystyrene. In this paper we expanded this analysis by the temperature dependence. The measurement methodology was based on the acousto-elastic effect, and involved analysis of the dependencies of velocities of longitudinal and shear single-frequency ultrasonic waves in the sample on the applied static pressure. Measurements were performed at different temperatures in the range of 25-65 °C and at different frequencies in the range of 0.7-3 MHz. The temperature susceptibility of the nonlinear moduli <i>l</i> and <i>m</i> was found to be two orders of magnitude larger than that of linear moduli λ and μ. At the same time, the observed variations of <i>n</i> modulus with temperature were low and within the measurement tolerance. The observed tendencies can be explained by the shift of nonlinear moduli towards higher frequencies with increasing temperature.