A creep apparatus to explore the quenching and ageing phenomena of PVC films
A creep apparatus has been constructed for an in situ determination of length and length change. Using this apparatus, the creep behavior of PVC thin films associated with quenching and aging was studied. The more severe the quench through the glass transition temperature, the greater is the instantaneous elastic deformation and the subsequent creep behavior. As aging proceeds, the quenched films gradually lose the ductility incurred by quenching. These results agree well with the well-known phenomena of physical aging. Thus, the changes reflecting molecular mobilities due to quenching and aging can be properly monitored by such a creep apparatus.