FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION MEASUREMENTS OF ORIENTATION IN LABELED POLYISOPRENE NETWORKS

In the reported experiments, fluorescence polarization was used to measure segmental orientation in stretched polyisoprene networks. Stress and orientation of chemically bonded fluorescent labels were simultaneously recorded during stretching. Two deviations from the classical theory of rubber elasticity were observed: (i) an extra orientation of dry networks, which was interpreted by assuming the existence of weak nematiclike interactions between segments, and (ii) a saturation of orientation at high elongation which could be due to local conformational changes.