Static creep and recovery of filled elastomers using thermomechanometry

The four-element creep model was used to describe the elastic, viscoelastic and viscous behaviour of silica-filled poly(ethylene-co-methyl acrylate). The analysis model used a stretched exponential function provided the elastic modulus, creep modulus and viscosity, recovery modulus, relaxation time and an asymmetry parameter characteristic of the distribution of relaxation times exhibited by polymers. Molecular characteristics that determined creep and relaxation behaviour were molecular structure, crystallinity and dispersed silica.