Natural and Artificial Rubber: the Elasticity of Long-chain Molecules

Abstract

INTRODUCTION THE elasticity of rubber and related substances is not of the same kind as the elasticity of steel or glass, but seems more to possess the nature of the elasticity of gases. This may appear strange, because we are accustomed to regard rubber as a solid body, but as a matter of facttechnical men have since long realized this peculiar relationship. Hence they nearly always use rubber or rubber-like material in conjunction with air, when they try to produce a high elastic combination as a ball, a tube, a tyre, etc., but they never combine soft rubber with metals or other solid bodies. Only hard rubber is used in this field. Our technical experience so far can be summarized thus: soft rubber is best used in conjunction with gases, hard rubber with solid bodies.