Network structure influences bulk modulus of nearly incompressible filled silicone elastomers

The bulk modulus is a fundamental elastic property that quantifies material’s resistance to changing volume and critical in loading situations where significant hydrostatic stresses develop. Rubbery polymer networks represent class of nearly incompressible materials whose orders magnitude larger than the tensile modulus. current physical understanding suggests it insensitive structural features networks, such as network topology spatial distribution crosslinks chains; however, there lack experimental evidence available literature thoroughly examine this understanding. In work, radially confined compression used quantify silicone blends with variable crosslinking density sol fraction. These measurements demonstrate systematically altered when structure. Poisson’s ratio also characterized. findings provide deeper connection between molecular structure networks.