Transient effects in dynamic modulus measurement of silicone rubber, part 2: Effect of mean strains and strain history

The strain-dependent dynamic storage modulus of a poly(dimethyl-siloxane-co-methylvinyl-siloxane-co-methylphenyl-siloxane)-based silicone elastomer (PVMQ), which is reinforced with fumed silica and crosslinked with peroxide, is investigated. The time dependence of the dynamic storage modulus on the magnitude of the mean strain at a particular test condition is investigated. The dynamic modulus results are shown to depend on the time of cycling as well as the relative magnitudes of the dynamic and mean strains. The relaxation of the force required to maintain the mean strain is observed to depend on the magnitude of the dynamic strains and the data are shown to be consistent with static stress relaxation experiments in the limit of zero dynamic strain. Recovery of the dynamic modulus from the exposure to higher strain cycling is seen to be facilitated by dynamic cycling with higher cycling strains yielding faster recovery rates. The observed phenomena are interpreted in terms of the role of entanglements in the polymer phase on the dynamic behavior of the elastomer material. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 2197–2204, 2007