A three-parameter strain energy function is presented to model the nonlinearly elastic response of rubber and other elastomers. It describes a Valanis-Landel material with limiting chain extensibility characterized by a maximum allowable stretch. It provides an excellent fit with all of the data from the classic experiments of Treloar, Rivlin and Saunders, and Jones and Treloar on vulcanized rubber sheets. Two of the parameters have clear physical meaning; they are the shear modulus in infinitesimal deformation and the maximum allowable stretch. The third (small) parameter is necessary to describe the material response to highly compressive stretches which occur, for example, in equibiaxial extension.
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