A dynamical theory of elastic micro‐dielectric polymers

Abstract

AbstractThe general incompatibility and microheterogeneity of polymeric mixtures are discussed. The concepts are extended to elastic polyblends whose polymer constituents are polarizable, non‐conducting and non‐magnetic. A theory is then developed for the interactions of dynamic deformation fields in polyblends with applied electromagnetic fields. It is shown that certain electro‐ and magneto‐acoustical and optical effects are the outcome of the above‐mentioned interactions. Plane elastic as well as electromagnetic waves are shown to be generally dispersive in such media. We have employed an internal scale parameter, commonly called the couple stresses constant, which can be estimated by measuring the speeds of plane waves, thus enabling polymer engineers and scientists to evaluate incompatibility in elastic polyblends. The present work also establishes a generalized Faraday effect by showing that there exist three pairs of left and right circularly polarized plane waves traveling at different speeds in a polyblend. We also discuss a new phenomenon, i.e. “micromagneto‐elastic dragging”, emerging from our analysis. This phenomenon asserts that the more profound the internal incompatibility of polyblends, the more depressed the speed of plane waves below their normal values observed in the absence of incompatibility. For convenience, we have called such materials elastic micro‐dielectric polymers or, in short, EMDP.