Hartmann function, additive properties

Rubbery materials are usually lightly cross-linked. Their properties depend on the mean distance between cross links and chain rigidity. Cross linking can be quantified by the use of functions derived from graph theory, such as the Rao or molar Hartmann functions. These can be incorporated into both group additivity and QSPR equations. 

Hartmann (1984) found that the analogous additive property for the shear modulus is V(G/p)1/6 it is also temperature independent and additive as long as the material is in the solid state well below Tg. We shall coin this molar function as UH the Hartmann function ... 

It will be shown in Chapter 11 that the correlations developed in this monograph can be combined with other correlations that are found in the literature (preferably with the equations developed by Seitz in the case of thermoplastics, and with the equations of rubber elasticity theory with finite chain extensibility for elastomers), to predict many of the key mechanical properties of polymers. These properties include the elastic (bulk, shear and tensile) moduli as well as the shear yield stress and the brittle fracture stress. In addition, new correlations in terms of connectivity indices will be developed for the molar Rao function and the molar Hartmann function whose importance in our opinion is more of a historical nature. A large amount of the most reliable literature data on the mechanical properties of polymers will also be listed. The observed trends for the mechanical properties of thermosets will also be discussed. Finally, the important and challenging topic of the durability of polymers under mechanical deformation will be addressed, to review the state-of-the-art in this area where the existing modeling tools are of a correlative (rather than truly predictive) nature at this time. 

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