1 research outputs found
Nanomechanical Mapping of a Deformed Elastomer: Visualizing a Self-Reinforcement Mechanism
Mapping
the structure evolution and mechanical properties of elastic
polymers or biomaterials during bulk deformation has been difficult,
yet this information has long been thought to be key for understanding
the structure–mechanical property relationship necessary to
guide the design of new materials. Here we use a nanomechanical mapping
to assess the structural evolution and mechanical properties of a
deformed isoprene rubber (IR) to elucidate a self-reinforcement mechanism
in this material. A hierarchical nanofibrillar structure, ranging
from several to a hundred nanometers in size, comprised of fibers
oriented parallel to the stretching direction was found. The nanofibers,
connected by oriented amorphous tie chains, form a network structure
that is responsible for significantly enhanced stress, a key factor
giving rise to the self-reinforcement of IR and, more than likely,
most elastomers that undergo strained-induced crystallization