2007 journal article
A molecular based model for polymer viscoelasticity: Intra- and inter-molecular variability
APPLIED MATHEMATICAL MODELLING, 32(12), 2753–2767.
author keywords: molecular chain bead models; polymer viscoelasticity; variable and distributed relaxation times
open access via doi.org (publisher)
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3. Good Health and Well-being
(Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018
We develop dynamic equations for rubber viscoelasticity based on a stick-slip continuum molecular-based model. The model developed is a continuum tube reptation model in which a chemically cross-linked (CC) system of molecules act as constraint box per unit volume for a physically constrained (PC) system of molecules. The CC-system carries along the PC-system during instantaneous step deformations. The subsequent relaxation of the PC-system is determined by the configuration of the CC-system, its own configuration and confirmation, and external force fields. Conversely, the deformation of the PC-system acts as an internal variable affecting the deformations of the constraining CC-system. We model the relationship between these processes to derive a model of viscoelasticity in rubber deformation. In developing a relaxation process for the PC-system, we start from the fact that the PC-system is composed of long molecular chains. The dynamics of these molecular chains are developed by modelling them as chains of beads connected by springs, which represent inter-molecular potentials. Various segments of the molecular chains relax at different rates. In addition, variability in relaxation times across molecular chains is permitted.