From Vulcanization to Isotropic and Nematic Rubber Elasticity

Xiangjun Xing; Swagatam Mukhopadhyay; Paul M. Goldbart; Annette Zippelius

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arXiv · cond-mat/0411660

From Vulcanization to Isotropic and Nematic Rubber Elasticity

Xiangjun Xing·Swagatam Mukhopadhyay·Paul M. Goldbart·Annette Zippelius

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Abstract

A Landau theory is constructed for the vulcanization transition in cross-linked polymer systems with spontaneous nematic ordering. The neo-classical theory of the elasticity of nematic elastomers is derived via the minimization of this Landau free energy; this neo-classical theory contains the classical theory of rubber elasticity as its isotropic limit. Our work not only reveals the statistical-mechanical roots of these elasticity theories, but also demonstrates that they are applicable to a wide class of random solids. It also constitutes a starting-point for the investigation of sample-to-sample fluctuations in various forms of vulcanized matter.

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Xiangjun Xing, Swagatam Mukhopadhyay, Paul M. Goldbart, Annette Zippelius. 2004-11-25. From Vulcanization to Isotropic and Nematic Rubber Elasticity. https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0411660

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