Viscoelasticity

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Viscoelasticity is a material property that combines both viscous and elastic characteristics. Many materials have such viscoelastic properties, especially materials that consist of large molecules. Polymers are viscoelastic because their macromolecules can have temporary entanglements with neighbouring molecules, causing elastic properties. After some time these entanglements disappear and the macromolecules flow into other positions where new entanglements occur (viscous properties). A viscoelastic material shows elastic properties on short time scales and viscous properties on long time scales. These materials exhibit behavior that depends on the time and rate of applied forces, allowing them to both store and dissipate energy. Viscoelasticity has been studied since the 19th century by researchers such as James Clerk Maxwell, Ludwig Boltzmann, and Lord Kelvin. Several models are available for the mathematical description of the viscoelastic properties of a substance: Constitutive models...

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