Molecular modelling of the stress–strain behaviour of elastomers in pure shear

It is demonstrated that experimental stress–strain data for several types of polymer network under pure shear display an approximately universal behaviour. The Monte–Carlo network-modelling method of Stepto, Taylor and Cail is extended to treat stress–strain behaviour in pure shear and its predictions are in good agreement with the experimental data. The predictions of Gaussian network theory are shown to be seriously in error.