SKM 2023 – scientific programme
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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik
CPP 19: Crystallization, Nucleation and Self-Assembly
CPP 19.6: Talk
Tuesday, March 28, 2023, 11:00–11:15, MER 02
Modelling Study of Reinforcement and Crack Formation in Strain-Crystallizing Elastomer Networks — •Lena Tarrach1, Reinhard Hentschke1, and Jan Weilert2 — 1Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany — 2Covestro Deutschland AG, Leverkusen, Germany
A coarse-grained model has been developed to simulate reinforcement and crack formation in strain-crystallizing elastomer networks. This work is based on the model for strain-induced crystallization (SIC) proposed by Plagge and Hentschke [1], which here is extended for the investigation of rupture.
Generally, strain-crystallizing elastomer networks possess a higher tensile strength than non-crystallizing networks. Therefore, the force on the links, i.e. the polymer chains in the model network, is analyzed to define a critical force for their rupture. It is examined how structural parameters and parameters for the free energy of semi-crystalline links affect the tensile strength of strain-crystallizing networks compared to non-crystallizing networks. The variation of these parameters does not improve the tensile strength in both the 2D- and the 3D-case.
Thus, a critical crystallinity, which makes certain links unbreakable, is introduced to model the alignment of the polymer backbones along the stretching direction. The tensile strength of 2D- and 3D-networks is enhanced.
[1] Plagge, J. & Hentschke, R. Microphase Separation in Strain-Crystallizing Rubber. Macromolecules 54, 5629-5635. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00757 (2021).