Effect of Stretching Rate on Tensile Response and Crystallization Behavior of Crosslinked Natural Rubber

The performance of natural rubber (NR) relies heavily on the microstructural changes during deformation. This has brought to significant change in the stress response of NR. Besides, the stretching rate may also affect the stress response of NR. In this study, effects of stretching rate on tensile deformation and strain-induced crystallization of crosslinked NR were investigated. Results indicated that increasing the strain rate has increased the stress at given strain where the onset of strain-induced crystallization was shifted to a lower strain. The crystallinity of the crosslinked NR was shown to be higher at a high stretching rate and it corresponded well with the tensile response. The results clearly confirm that chain orientation and crystallization became stronger with increasing deformation rate. The study also suggests that the deformation could improve distribution of crosslinked network structures.