LAUSR

Abstract The addition of rigid fillers to an elastomeric matrix enhances its mechanical properties. This reinforcement effect is primarily due to a filler network structure in which polymer regions between aggregates play the principal role. In this study, a continuum constitutive equation is formulated for polymer behavior under strong confinement conditions. This behavior can be accounted for by a local glass transition temperature that combines the effects of physical interaction and stress softening in a unique viscoelastic formulation. The model reproduces, at a microscopic scale, the processes governing the Payne effect, including the temperature dependence of the viscoelastic behavior of the filled elastomer reinforcement.