Temperature and filler effects on the relaxed response of filled rubbers: Experimental observations on a carbon-filled SBR and constitutive modeling. (April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ovalle Rodas, C.; Zaïri, F.; Naït-Abdelaziz, M.; Charrier, P.
• Is Part Of: International journal of solids and structures. Volume 58(2016)
• Page Start: 309
• Page End: 321
• Publication Date: 2015-04
• Subjects: Filled rubbers -- Temperature effects -- Filler effects -- Experiments -- Constitutive modeling; Mechanics, Applied -- Periodicals; Structural analysis (Engineering) -- Periodicals; Elastic solids -- Periodicals; Mécanique appliquée -- Périodiques; Constructions, Théorie des -- Périodiques; Solides élastiques -- Périodiques; Elastic solids; Mechanics, Applied; Structural analysis (Engineering); Periodicals; 624.18
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2014.11.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-7683

Abstract

Abstract: The self-heating temperature of filled rubbers under cyclic loading at environmental conditions is well-known. This increase in temperature seriously affects the constitutive stress–strain behavior by producing a thermal softening of the rubber compound. Although this feature is well-recognized and considered as important to its function, few constitutive thermo-mechanical models attempt to quantify the stress–temperature relationship. In this work, a physically-based model is developed to describe the large strain relaxed response of filled rubbers over a wide range of temperatures. The non-linear mechanical behavior is described via a Langevin formalism in which the temperature and filler effects are, respectively, included by a network thermal kinetics and an amplification of the first strain invariant. Experimental observations on the relaxed state of styrene-butadiene rubber hourglass-shaped specimens with a given carbon-black content are reported at different temperatures. A hybrid experimental–numerical method is proposed to determine simultaneously the local thermo-mechanical response and the model parameters. In addition, the predictive capability of the proposed constitutive thermo-mechanical model is verified by comparisons with results issued from micromechanical simulations containing different arrangements of the microstructure. The results show that the model offers a satisfactory way to predict the relaxed response of filled rubbers at different temperatures.