With increasing use of polymers in sophisticated industrial applications, it is essential that mechanical engineers have a solid understanding of these compounds. This text provides a thorough introduction to polymers from a mechanical engineering perspective, treating stresses and deformations in structural components made of polymers. The authors discuss the time-dependent response of polymers and its implications for mechanical response; mechanical response for both time-dependent and frequency-dependent material properties; and the application of the stress-strain-time relation to...

With increasing use of polymers in sophisticated industrial applications, it is essential that mechanical engineers have a solid understanding of these compounds. This text provides a thorough introduction to polymers from a mechanical engineering perspective, treating stresses and deformations in structural components made of polymers. The authors discuss the time-dependent response of polymers and its implications for mechanical response; mechanical response for both time-dependent and frequency-dependent material properties; and the application of the stress-strain-time relation to...