Thermally Stimulated Creep: a Theoretical Understanding of the Compensation Law

(Received 6 October 1992, revised 7 September 1993 and 6 July 1994, accepted 24 February 1995)

Abstract
Experimental data from thermally stimulated techniques (either mechanical or electrical measurements) are often used to characterize polymeric materials. The very high values obtained for the apparent activation energy, associated with very short pre-exponential times, as well as the so-called "compensation law" have not yet been properly explained 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 .