Effect of Oxygen on the Tear Strength of Elastomers

Abstract Many measurements have been made of the strength of simple vulcanizates of common elastomers, both under steady and intermittently applied loads. In both cases, the strength is governed by dissipative processes, particularly those arising from internal molecular motions and from stress-induced crystallization. Thus, the intrinsic strength of the molecular network is observable only under nondissipative conditions, at high temperatures and extremely low rates of tearing. Under these circumstances, the strength of rubber networks is in reasonably good agreement with theoretical calculations based on the dissociation energy of main-chain bonds in the molecular strands comprising the network.