Low-temperature relaxation of plastically deformed vitreous materials in the excited state model

Abstract

The low-temperature component of the thermally stimulated recovery of plastically deformed amorphous polymers and silicate glasses is a consequence of their transition to an excited state and stems from the fact that the disordered structure of the glass is regained from the excited state to the ground state. This process is adequately interpreted within the framework of the excited state model.