Mechanical Performance of Structural Polymethyl Methacrylate Joints at Different Temperatures

This paper introduces a novel technique for enhancing the joint strength in structural acrylic glass (polymethyl methacrylate, PMMA) under thermal cycling conditions. By employing bulk polymerization, the strength of PMMA joints was significantly reinforced. Tensile assessments from 20 degrees C to 140 degrees C were conducted to evaluate the mechanical properties of acrylic joints under varying temperature conditions. A constitutive model was established to correlate the strength of both the base material and the joints with temperature variations. The tensile test outcomes demonstrated that the innovative bulk polymerization method under thermal cycling conditions effectively increased the joint material strength to reach up to 90% of the base material's strength, and the post-thermal cycling tests demonstrate that post-thermal cycling has essentially no impact on the strength and modulus. This advancement in joint strength enhancement not only expands the potential applications of acrylic glass in architectural structures but also lays a substantial theoretical foundation for construction practices.