This study examined the fracture of polymer networks via Brownian simulations with various strain rates. The networks were created from star polymers with different branching degrees and conversion ratios. The results showed that strain and stress at break, plotted against cycle rank, form master curves dependent on strain rate; the fracture characteristics decrease with decreasing strain rate. Despite the interplay of Brownian motion, elongation, and bond scission, the cycle rank dependence is qualitatively similar to that reported previously for energy-minimized networks.
- Yuichi Masubuchi
- Yusuke Koide
- Takashi Uneyama
