ABSTRACT
Elastomer mechanical properties differ from the majority of engineering materials due to the high elastic strain and dependence on viscoelastic deformation responses. The information required to model elastomers is often difficult to obtain. The design of elastomeric products is not as straightforward as can be expected with other traditional engineering materials. This chapter aims to collect sufficient data to improve, or produce new, a constitutive model on the deformation response of elastomers. It focuses on determining the possibility of relating the chemical composition of the rubber to its mechanical properties and reviewing relationships between properties. The implication of which, could enable a reduction in the mechanical testing of the elastomer. The common variables used included; polymer unsaturation, Mooney viscosity, filler and plasticiser loading. Whilst some mechanical deformation characteristics have shown a degree of correlation with chemical characteristics, there are insufficient results to give more than a qualitative indication.
