DSC analysis of post-yield deformed PBT. Effects of thermal history

The effect of the deformation temperature on the energy stored in post-yield deformed poly(butylene terephthalate) PBT, was studied by means of DSC tests. Deformed specimens were rapidly cooled after unloading, in order to avoid the energy relaxation processes occurring before the DSC measurements. Cooling revealed to have a significant contribution on the whole stored energy, as shown by DSC tests conducted on undeformed PBT specimens conditioned at various temperatures. This work is aimed at separating the effects due to cooling and those ascribed to deformation on the energy storage and release processes, permitting to better understand previous findings on post-yield compressed PBT.