THERMALLY STIMULATED CREEP - A THEORETICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPENSATION LAW

Experimental data from thermally stimulated techniques (either mechani cal or electrical measurements) are often used to characterize polymer ic materials. The very high values obtained for the apparent activatio n energy, associated with very short pre-exponential times, as well as the so-called ''compensation law'' have not yet been properly explain ed on a physical basis. The purpose of this work is to propose such an interpretation on the basis of a theoretical model already developed for the molecular mobility in amorphous polymers below and around T-g.