Advanced experimental investigation and numerical simulation of polycarbonate behaviour at different strain-rate and temperature

Abstract
Modelling the mechanical behaviour of plastics in simulating large strains and large displacements (as in impact simulations) is a complex task due to the highly non-linear characteristics of these materials. Moreover, non negligible influences of strain-rate, multiaxial loading, and temperature are present and must be taken into account accordingly. This work presents some results about the modelling of these effects for a thermoplastic used in automotive components. The model was developed based on experimental results obtained in different loading conditions, with different temperature and strain-rate. In this work the characterization of a polycarbonate for automotive applications has been carried out. A detailed experimental tests campaign covering the main influencing factors has been first fulfilled. The experimental results were used to obtain parameters for a suitable model implemented in a numerical code. The explicit and implicit LS-DYNA solvers for dynamic simulations have been used. Good fitting between numerical and simulation results has been obtained and the results provide a very useful tool for the design of plastic body parts.