2021 Impact factor 1.624
Soft Matter and Biological Physics


Eur. Phys. J. E 6, 221-229 (2001)

Tube model for the elasticity of entangled nematic rubbers

S. Kutter and E.M. Terentjev

Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, United Kingdom

emt1000@cam.ac.uk

(Received 25 June 2001)

Abstract
Dense rubbery networks are highly entangled polymer systems, with significant topological restrictions for the mobility of neighbouring chains and crosslinks preventing the reptation constraint release. In a mean-field approach, entanglements are treated within the famous reptation approach, since they effectively confine each individual chain in a tube-like geometry. We apply these classical ideas to calculate the effective rubber-elastic free energy of anisotropic networks, nematic liquid crystal elastomers, and present the first theory of entanglements for such a material.

PACS
61.41.+e - Polymers, elastomers, and plastics.
61.30.Vx - Polymer liquid crystals.
62.20.Dc - Elasticity, elastic constants.


© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2001

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