Viscoelastic Behavior Of Rubbery Materials

The enormous size of polymer molecules causes their molecular motions to span a broad range of length scales and give rise to viscoelastic behaviour. This rate-dependence of the properties is a predominant characteristic of soft materials (rubbers, biopolymers, lubricants, adhesives, etc.). Improving the performance and developing new applications for soft materials require an understanding of the basic principles of how molecular motions underlie physical properties. This text is intended to provide grounding in fundamental aspects of the dynamic behavior of rubbery materials, adopting a molecular perspective in its treatment to emphasize how microscopic processes are connected to the observed macroscopic behavior. The latest discoveries and advances in the science and technology of rubbery materials are described and critically analyzed. Review: "Mike Roland has written an excellent book that examines a complex subject in a very easy to digest manner. I am impressed by the way that he has integrated so many different aspects of rubber physics into a single coherent volume." -- James Busfield, Queen Mary, University of London

Contents: 1. Introduction ; 2. Cooperative Local Dynamics - The Glass Transition Zone ; 3. Chain Dynamics ; 4. Networks ; 5. Constitutive Modeling, Nonlinear Behavior and the Stress Optic Law ; 6. Reduced Variables and Characteristic Relaxation Times ; 7. Blends ; 8. Liquid Crystalline Materials ; 9. Bioelastomers ; 10. Confinements Effects on Polymer Dynamics