Viscoelastic properties of polycrystalline solid methane and carbon dioxide

Abstract

The viscoelastic properties of polycrystalline solid methane and carbon dioxide were measured in a low‐temperature deformation apparatus. It was found that solid methane flowed easily under a shear stress of 5 MPa even at a temperature of 77 K. Its stress was relaxed with exponent 1.9±0.2 in non‐Newtonian power‐law. The effective viscosity of solid methane estimated at 0.1 MPa was 10 11 Pa sec. Solid carbon dioxide was deformed brittly at 77 K.