Abstract
In order to understand the mechanical property of rice seedlings stem raised in cell tray in the stretching process, the general tensile, creep and stress relaxation property of rice seedlings stem were tested with JK-100KE micro-control electronic universal testing machine (UTM) and analyzed. The test variety of rice was Huahang No.31, planting in plastic cell tray in the field in Qilin North of South China Agricultural University. After growing for 25 days in the field, the seedlings had 3 to 5 leaves, and the seedlings with straight stalks and good growth were selected for the experiment. In experiment process, two ends of seedling stem samples were fixed in upper and lower clamps of the UTM respectively, and the original distance between 2 clamps was 20 mm. The frequency of data acquisition was 1/s. In the general tensile test, the loading rates were 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 mm/min, respectively, and 20 repetitions were carried out under each loading rate. In the creep test, the loading speed was 0.1 N/s. When the stress reached about 1.5 MPa, the stress began to be maintained, the test was ended after being maintained for 1 200 s, and the tensile creep curve of the seedling stem was obtained. The creep test was repeated 20 times. In the stress relaxation test, the loading speed was 0.6 mm/min. When the strain reached about 2.5%, the strain began to be maintained. The test was ended after being maintained for 1 200 s, and the tensile stress relaxation curve of the seedling stem was obtained. The stress relaxation test was repeated 20 times. The results of general tensile test showed that the seedling stalks usually ruptured 2 times due to the structural features of the covering leaf sheath. And before the first rupture, the stress-strain curve was linear. The fracture strain was 5.2%-9.6%, the fracture stress was 3.1-7.3 MPa, and the modulus of elasticity was 0.46-0.93 MPa. And the average fracture stress increased linearly with the increase of loading rate. In this study, the tension creep and stress relaxation process were described by the Burgers 4-element model and the Maxwell 5-element model, respectively. The tensile creep and stress relaxation testing data were fitted with MATLAB curve fitting tool, and the relevant rheological parameters were obtained, and the constitutive equations of creep and stress relaxation of rice seedling stems raised in cell trays were established. The creep model fitting parameters were that: delay elastic modulus Ek was 2.893-6.115 MPa, delay viscosity coefficient ηk was 308-817 MPa•s, delay time Tk was 106-175 s, instant elastic modulus Ek0 was 0.5-1.0 MPa, viscosity coefficient ηkv was 5 329-13 750 MPa. The stress relaxation model fitting parameters were that: decay elastic modulus Em1 and Em2 were respectively 0.066-0.144 MPa and 0.051-0.120 MPa, decay viscosity coefficients ηm1 and ηm2 were 1.71-5.19 MPa•s and 16.29-63.89 MPa•s respectively, relaxation time Tm1 and Tm2 were 26.03-41.95 s and 260.1-534.2 s respectively, instant elastic modulus Em0 was 0.335-0.601 MPa. Based on the selected rheological models and constitutive equations, and considering biological characteristics of the seedling stems, the parameters, including the creep rate, creep compliance, stress relaxation rate, stress relaxation time, were analyzed. The results showed that there are 2 kinds of tissue structure in seedling stem, that is, tender and strong, which could be reflected by the Maxwell bodies with 2 different stress relaxation times. And the processes of creep and stress relaxation were both the process of the transition from unbalanced structure and matter structure to the balance state in rice seedling stem, and also the process of mutual containment of elastic dynamic force and viscous resistance to achieve the equilibrium state. In the creep process, the unrecoverable plastic strain was generated, and under the same conditions, it was increased with the increase of initial stress and creep time, and the proportion of the plastic strain with the total strain increased with creep time, which had no relationship with the initial stress size. What’s more, the stress relaxation process resulted in microscopic damage, including the broken or extended macromolecular chains, increased or decreased bond angle and so on. This research provide a reference for damage assessment and simulation analysis of seedlings pulled up from plastic cell trays. In the future, the relationship between the rheological properties of rice seedlings stem and the levels of stress and strain should be further studied.
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