A New Theory of Non-Linear Viscous Elasticity

Abstract

The stress-strain curve of a material is calculated on the hypothesis that when flow occurs a section of the molecular chain constituting the material changes from a configuration A to a con figuration B and thereby becomes unable to elongate again. Except for a small elastic deformation of both structures, the elongation is proportional to the fraction of the material in the B configura tion. The two components are assumed to be in solution with one another, and the rates of trans formation are then proportional to the relative abundance of the transformed species. These rates are written in the manner of the Eyring theory of reaction rates. Systems of more than two com ponents are discussed and several examples are calculated. The calculated curves show good qualitative agreement with stress-strain curves of the nylon-wool-rubber type.