Both experimental measurements and molecular simulations were applied to probe the strain-induced crystallization (SIC) of natural rubber in real time, and some interesting results have been found. A very large fraction of unoriented amorphous phase remains, even at high strains. The onset strain of SIC in peroxide-cured NR decreases with increasing crosslinking density, while that in sulfur-cured NR is independent of crosslinking density. This difference may be caused by different network structures. Nanofillers, entanglements, non-rubber components and pseudoend-linked networks also result in abnormal SIC phenomena.
- Yijing Nie
- Zhouzhou Gu
- Zhiping Zhou
