Stress–Strain Relations for Nematic Polymer Networks with Various Concentrations of Flexible and Stiff Parts

Abstract

A polymer network consists of linear chains. Each chain is an alternant sequence of flexible and stiff parts. The stiff parts of all the networked chains interact via nematic potential interactions. The flexible parts do not interact with other parts (flexible or stiff) of the network system. Various concentrations of flexible and stiff parts lend various elastic properties to the network. The influence of these molecular mechanisms on the stress–strain relations of the polymer network near the isotropic–nematic transition is calculated and discussed.