Sans of Polymer Networks Under Deformation

Matrix Chain Deformation in Reinforced Networks: a SANS Approach

“…It must be considered as a sensitive function of all chain defects and network fluctuations. A quantitative description of this interplay is presented in a forthcoming study which especially deals with the dependence on primary molecular weights and cross-link densities . For the outcome of the underlying investigation it suffices to relate the deformation in the filled network to the “unfilled deformation”.…”

An experimentalist's view of the physics of rubber elasticity

“…2 The single-chain form factor of the labeled constituent chains in polymer networks has been investigated as a function of the uniaxial stretching strain by the small-angle neutron scattering technique 2,22 and dynamic molecular simulations. 23 The applicability of the affine deformation at the microscopic level is an issue that has been debated for a long time.…”

“…Some recent studies have revealed that the scale of affinity is strongly dependent on the scale of interest of the chain length. 22,23 The crosslinks in rubbery networks are not frozen; in fact, they fluctuate with time around the average positions as a direct result of the micro-Brownian motion of the network chains. The spatial range of the dynamic fluctuations of the crosslinks revealed by neutron spin-echo measurements is smaller than that predicted by the phantom network theory.…”