Strain-dependent localization, microscopic deformations, and macroscopic normal tensions in model polymer networks

Abstract

We use molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the microscopic and macroscopic response of model polymer networks to uniaxial elongations. By studying networks with strands lengths ranging from $N_s=20$ to 200 we cover the full crossover from cross-link to entanglement dominated behavior. Our results support a recent version of the tube model which accounts for the different strain dependence of chain localization due to chemical cross-links and entanglements.

References in corpus (3)

• Stress Relaxation of Entangled Polymer Networks
• Tube Models for Rubber-Elastic Systems
• Dynamic mechanical response of polymer networks

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Kremer-Grest models for commodity polymer melts: Linking theory, experiment and simulation at the Kuhn scale
• Nonaffine Correlations in Random Elastic Media
• Non-affine displacements in flexible polymer networks
• Topological versus rheological entanglement length in primitive path analysis protocols
• Characteristic time and length scales in melts of Kremer-Grest bead-spring polymers with wormlike bending stiffness
• Non-affine displacements in crystalline solids in the harmonic limit
• Multiscale equilibration of highly entangled isotropic model polymer melts
• Microphase separation in cross-linked polymer blends: Efficient replica RPA post-processing of simulation data for homopolymer networks