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.