Internal stress relaxation in polymer systems

In polymer materials phase transition of the system from the liquid to the solid state is associated with internal stresses which act counter to the forces of molecular cohesion and thus reduce the cohesive strength. It has been established that the introduction of elastomers, without seriously affecting the strength properties, substantially reduces the internal stresses in polymer systems and improves the relaxation characteristics.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 240–244, 1966