Nonlinear dynamic living polymeric gels constitutive model based on statistical-chain-based theory

Dynamic living polymeric gels exhibit unique characteristics, including growth, self-healing, and degradation, through chemical reactions involving polymer chains. When subject to these evolutions, the gels can display significant deformations, exhibiting highly nonlinear mechanical responses within the polymer network. In addition, the precise stress values also have an effect on the diffusion and reaction kinetics. To address these complexities, we integrated a nonlinear chain force model into statistical-chain-based theory to account for the nonlinear mechanical behavior of the polymer network. First, we fit a set of experimental data to obtain adequate parameters. Subsequently, we investigated the impact of various chain reactions on the mechanical properties of polymer gels during uniaxial stretching, in contrast to the linear chain model. Finally, the physicochemical properties of the complex living polymer structures were investigated by examining two-dimensional flat plates and two-dimensional perforated flat plates.