ABSTRACT
Crosslinked rubbers, elastomers, possess the remarkable ability of being able to stretch to 5-10 times their original length and then retract rapidly to near their original dimensions when the stress is removed. This behaviour sets them apart from materials such as metals and ceramics where the maximum reversible strains that can be tolerated usually are less than 1%. The mechanical behaviour of elastomers will be considered from both phenomenological and molecular viewpoints and it will be demonstrated that it is possible to predict their mechanical properties from first principles.
