Nonlinear Modeling and Comparative Analysis of Damage Mechanisms in ABS: A Study Based on Ultimate Stress and Residual Energy Approaches

This study takes a closer look at how damage develops in Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) when it is put under mechanical stress. It compares three different ways to evaluate that damage: one based on how much stress the material can still handle, another based on how much energy it can still absorb, and a third using a unified damage theory. To explore this, researchers tested specially designed samples, with a hole and notches of different lengths, under controlled static loading conditions. The results revealed a clear three-stage pattern in how damage progresses: it starts slowly (up to β ≈ 0.20), grows steadily (up to β ≈ 0.70), and then accelerates quickly until the material fails. What is particularly interesting is how closely the stress-based and energy-based methods agreed, less than a 5% difference when identifying the critical damage thresholds. This strong correlation suggests these methods are reliable tools for capturing the complex, nonlinear behavior of thermoplastic damage, offering a clear improvement over traditional linear models like Miner’s rule. In the end, this work helps deepen our understanding of how polymers like ABS deteriorate under stress and offers a stronger, more accurate framework for predicting the remaining life of damaged structural parts.