The entropic nature of elasticity of long molecular chains and reticulated materials is discussed concerning the analysis of flows of polymer melts and elastomer deformation in the framework of Frenkel-Eyring molecular kinetic theory. Deformation curves are calculated in line with the simple viscoelasticity models where the activation energy of viscous flow depends on the magnitude of elastic entropic forces of the stretched macromolecules. The interconnections between deformation processes and the structure of elastomer networks, as well as their mutual influence on each other, are considered.
Keywords: Kelvin–Voigt model; creep prediction; entropic elastic force in macromolecules; hysteresis in rubber; standard linear solid model; viscosity activation energy; viscosity anomaly.