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Theory of Flexible Polymer Networks: Elasticity and Heterogeneities

A review of the main elasticity models of flexible polymer networks is presented. Classical models of phantom networks suggest that the networks have a tree-like structure. The conformations of their strands are described by the model of a combined chain, which consists of the network strand and two...

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Autor principal: Panyukov, Sergey
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7240557/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32244601
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym12040767
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author Panyukov, Sergey
author_facet Panyukov, Sergey
author_sort Panyukov, Sergey
collection PubMed
description A review of the main elasticity models of flexible polymer networks is presented. Classical models of phantom networks suggest that the networks have a tree-like structure. The conformations of their strands are described by the model of a combined chain, which consists of the network strand and two virtual chains attached to its ends. The distribution of lengths of virtual chains in real polydisperse networks is calculated using the results of the presented replica model of polymer networks. This model describes actual networks having strongly overlapping and interconnected loops of finite sizes. The conformations of their strands are characterized by the generalized combined chain model. The model of a sliding tube is represented, which describes the general anisotropic deformations of an entangled network in the melt. I propose a generalization of this model to describe the crossover between the entangled and phantom regimes of a swollen network. The obtained dependence of the Mooney-Rivlin parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] on the polymer volume fraction is in agreement with experiments. The main results of the theory of heterogeneities in polymer networks are also discussed.
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spelling pubmed-72405572020-06-11 Theory of Flexible Polymer Networks: Elasticity and Heterogeneities Panyukov, Sergey Polymers (Basel) Review A review of the main elasticity models of flexible polymer networks is presented. Classical models of phantom networks suggest that the networks have a tree-like structure. The conformations of their strands are described by the model of a combined chain, which consists of the network strand and two virtual chains attached to its ends. The distribution of lengths of virtual chains in real polydisperse networks is calculated using the results of the presented replica model of polymer networks. This model describes actual networks having strongly overlapping and interconnected loops of finite sizes. The conformations of their strands are characterized by the generalized combined chain model. The model of a sliding tube is represented, which describes the general anisotropic deformations of an entangled network in the melt. I propose a generalization of this model to describe the crossover between the entangled and phantom regimes of a swollen network. The obtained dependence of the Mooney-Rivlin parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] on the polymer volume fraction is in agreement with experiments. The main results of the theory of heterogeneities in polymer networks are also discussed. MDPI 2020-04-01 /pmc/articles/PMC7240557/ /pubmed/32244601 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym12040767 Text en © 2020 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
spellingShingle Review
Panyukov, Sergey
Theory of Flexible Polymer Networks: Elasticity and Heterogeneities
title Theory of Flexible Polymer Networks: Elasticity and Heterogeneities
title_full Theory of Flexible Polymer Networks: Elasticity and Heterogeneities
title_fullStr Theory of Flexible Polymer Networks: Elasticity and Heterogeneities
title_full_unstemmed Theory of Flexible Polymer Networks: Elasticity and Heterogeneities
title_short Theory of Flexible Polymer Networks: Elasticity and Heterogeneities
title_sort theory of flexible polymer networks: elasticity and heterogeneities
topic Review
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7240557/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32244601
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym12040767
work_keys_str_mv AT panyukovsergey theoryofflexiblepolymernetworkselasticityandheterogeneities