Tanglemer: a polymer network in which entanglements greatly outnumber crosslinks

It has long been appreciated that both entanglements and crosslinks stiffens a polymer network. Recently we have demonstrated that entanglements and crosslinks behave differently when the network fractures. Crosslinks embrittle the network, but entanglements do not. When a polymer of dense entanglements and sparse crosslinks is stretched, before a polymer chain breaks, tension transmits in the chain along the entire chain, and to many other chains through entanglements. The deconcentration of tension leads to high toughness, strength, and fatigue resistance. This talk describes methods to prepare highly entangled networks, as well as the mechanical behavior of such networks.