Extreme Energy Absorption in Glassy Polymer Thin Films by Supersonic Micro-projectile Impact

The nature of polymer deformation depends on the ability of the chain segments to respond to the applied load at the imposed loading rate. When the polymer response time is significantly longer than the loading duration, the polymer responds in a brittle manner. Polystyrene, for example, is a brittle, glassy solid at room temperature and absorbs very little energy during deformation. Here we show unexpected, thickness and strain-rate-dependent...