Elastomers
KEYWORDS: elastomers, flexibility, natural rubbers, viscoelasticity.
DESCRIPTION: Elastomers are polymers with very weak intermolecular forces and Viscoelasticity. As any rubbery material composed of long chainlike molecules, or polymers, that are capable of recovering their original shape after being stretched to great extents—hence the name elastomer, from “elastic polymer.” Under normal conditions, the long molecules making up an elastomeric material are irregularly arranged. Examples of elastomers include natural rubbers, styrene-butadiene block copolymers, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, ethylene-propylene rubber, ethylene propylene diene rubber, silicone elastomers, fluoroelastomers, polyurethane elastomers, and nitrile rubbers.