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General Purpose Elastomers: Structure, Chemistry, Physics and Performance

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Advances in Elastomers I

Part of the book series: Advanced Structured Materials ((STRUCTMAT,volume 11))

Abstract

Elastomers are unique to polymers and exhibit extraordinary reversible extension with low hysteresis and minimal permanent set. They are the ideal polymers relieved of molecular interactions, crystallinity and chain rigidity constraints. The common elastomers have characteristic low modulus, though with poor abrasion and chemical resistance. Theoretical concepts have been established for their thermodynamics and kinetics and this knowledge has been applied to extending their properties by design of chemical and molecular structures, or by modification by control of crosslinking, blending or additions of fillers. This chapter reviews elastomer theory and the demanding range of properties expected. Natural rubber is the starting material for introduction of chemistries that introduce damping, abrasion resistance and higher modulus through copolymerization and interacting functional groups. Heteroatoms such as fluorine, silicon, oxygen and nitrogen are shown to extend properties and give chemical resistance. Thermoplastic elastomers move beyond typical cured systems due to formation of two-phase block copolymers. Finally modification by filler and blended systems is considered, followed by introduction to shape memory materials and a brief comment on the future trends. The unique and diverse properties and performance of elastomers continues to be a fascinating field for science and application.

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Abbreviations

∆H:

Enthalpy change

∆S:

Entropy change

Δγ:

Wetting surface tension

A:

Helmholtz free energy

COPA:

Polyamide/elastomer block copolymer

COPE:

Polyether ester/elastomer block copolymer

CR:

Polychloroprene

DSC:

Differential scanning calorimetry

EPDM:

Ethylene propylene diene monomer

EPM:

Ethylene-propylene random copolymer

FKM:

Fluorocarbon elastomer

G:

Gibbs free energy

IIR:

Butyl rubber

IPN:

Interpenetrating blend

iPP:

Isotactic polypropylene

NBR:

Acrylonitrile butadiene rubber

NC :

Critical entanglement spacing

NR:

Natural rubber, poly(cis-1,4-isoprene)

PCEA:

Polycarbonateesteramide

PDMS:

Polydimethylsiloxane

PEA:

Polyesteramides

PEEA:

Polyetheresteramide

PE-b-A:

Polyether-block-amide

POSS:

Polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxanes

PSR:

Polysulfide

PU:

Polyurethane

SBC:

Styrenic block copolymer

SBR:

Styrene butadiene rubber, poly(butadiene-co-styrene)

SBS:

Styrene-butadiene-styrene

SEBS:

Styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene

SEEPS:

Styrene-ethylene/ethylene/propylene-styrene

SEPS:

Styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene

SIBS:

Styrene-isobutylene-styrene

SIS:

Styrene-isoprene-styrene

SR:

Silicones rubber

TPE:

Thermoplastic elastomer

TPO:

Polyolefin blends

TPV:

Dynamically vulcanized blend

U:

Internal energy

W:

Work done on a system

WC :

Fraction of crystallinity

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Sciences, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia

    Robert A. Shanks & Ing Kong

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  1. Robert A. Shanks
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  2. Ing Kong
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Correspondence to Robert A. Shanks .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotech., Mahatma Gandhi University, Priyadarshini Hills P. O., Kottayam, Kerlala, 686 560, India

    P. M. Visakh

  2. Priyadarshini Hills, Kottayam,Kerala, 686 560, India

    Sabu Thomas

  3. Apollo Tyres Ltd., Gujarat, India

    Arup K. Chandra

  4. , Dept. Applied Physics and Mech. Eng., Lulea University of Technology, Lulea, 97187, Sweden

    Aji. P. Mathew

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Shanks, R.A., Kong, I. (2013). General Purpose Elastomers: Structure, Chemistry, Physics and Performance. In: Visakh, P., Thomas, S., Chandra, A., Mathew, A. (eds) Advances in Elastomers I. Advanced Structured Materials, vol 11. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-20925-3_2

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