K-Load : Prediction of mechanical degradation of polymeric components due to environmental stressors.

Summary: K-Load is a physically-based predictive tool for modeling the mechanical behavior of polymeric components that have been subjected to environmental damage. The modular formulation allows seamless integration of multiple damage sources: radiation, thermal oxidation, and hydrolysis, for example, that can be incorporated into an FE model to assess the effects of individual damage sources on the structural integrity of the polymeric component. Alternatively, the damage sources can be coupled in various combinations to provide a synergistic understanding of environmental damage on the net mechanical behavior.