Molecular View of Fracture in Amorphous Elastomers

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Abstract
Perhaps the first question coming to mind is, what does the strength of a body represent? It is natural to suppose that fracture of an elastomer involves rupture of molecular chains which interesect the fracture plane. The theoretical strength should then be the sum of the strengths of individual ruptured bonds. Computation of strength in this way involves estimating the number and nature of bonds to be broken and forces required. Bueche performed such a computation and his estimated strength was at least a thousand times as great as that usually observed. In essence, analysis suggests that rupture occurs before the average chain bond in a vulcanizate is anywhere near the maximum breaking load. A preliminary explanation for this effect was advanced by Bueche, who suggested that a specimen ruptures by a process which concentrates high local stress upon a few chains in the fracture cross section. The chains rupture under this high stress throwing stress on neighboring chains. The increased load on neighboring chains causes additional chain ruptures which in turn contribute to a repetitious process which is propagated at an increasing rate until rupture of the specimen occurs.

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