Rubberlike Elasticity
A Molecular Primer

This expanded second edition provides an introduction to the physical and molecular concepts governing elastic behaviour, particularly in elastomers.

James E. Mark (Author), Burak Erman (Author)

9780521814256, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 8 February 2007

272 pages, 130 b/w illus. 41 exercises
24.4 x 17 x 1.6 cm, 0.64 kg

Review of the first edition: 'The structure of this book…put me in mind of a Chinese banquet. The reader is presented with a short, but well written and presented account of all the major aspects of rubberlike elasticity, and is left with the impression of having dined rather well…[A] welcome addition to academic reading lists … This book is eminently readable and well produced.' Chemistry in Britain

Elastomers and rubberlike materials form a critical component in diverse applications that range from tyres to biomimetics and are used in chemical, biomedical, mechanical and electrical engineering. This updated and expanded edition provides an elementary introduction to the physical and molecular concepts governing elastic behaviour, with a particular focus on elastomers. The coverage of fundamental principles has been greatly extended and fully revised, with analogies to more familiar systems such as gases, producing an engaging approach to these phenomena. Dedicated chapters on novel uses of elastomers, covering bioelastomers, filled elastomers and liquid crystalline elastomers, illustrate the established and emerging applications at the forefront of physical science. With a list of experiments and demonstrations, problem sets and solutions, this is a self-contained introduction to the topic for graduate students, researchers and industrialists working in the applied fields of physics and chemistry, polymer science and engineering.

Part A. Fundamentals: 1. Introduction
2. Some rubberlike materials
3. The single molecule: theory and experiment
4. Preparation and structure of networks
5. Elementary statistical theory for idealized networks
6. Statistical theory for real networks
7. Elastic equations of state and Force-Deformation relations
8. Swelling of networks and volume phase transitions
9. Force as a function of temperature
10. Model elastomers
Part B. Additional Topics: 11. Networks prepared under unusual conditions
12. Strain-induced crystallization and ultimate properties
13. Multimodal networks
14. Birefringence and segmental orientation
15. Neutron scattering from networks
16. Liquid crystalline elastomers
17. Bioelastomers
18. Filled elastomers
19. Current problems and new directions
Appendixes: A. Relationships between I', ~, and Mc
B. Relationships between , <((d,)r2)>, 0, and t/>
C. Equations of state for miscellaneous deformations from the Constrained-Junction Theory
D. Thermodynamics of the relationship of stress to temperature
E. Questions and answers
F. Some publications describing laboratory/classroom experiments or demonstrations
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Polymer chemistry [PNNP]