Question

What are the characteristics of elastomers?

Answer 1

1. Elastomers are highly elastic polymers that stretch a lot and largely recover their shape.
2. They are usually amorphous at room temperature, so they behave rubbery rather than crystalline.
3. They have low stiffness (low modulus) and very high elongation before breaking.
4. Chemical crosslinks give permanent shape recovery and prevent flow.
5. They show viscoelastic (time and temperature dependent) behavior and good damping.