A Comparison Between Fractional-Order and Integer-Order Differential Finite Deformation Viscoelastic Models: Effects of Filler Content and Loading Rate on Material Parameters

Abstract

Elastomers or rubber-like materials exhibit nonlinear viscoelastic behavior such as creep and relaxation upon mechanical loading. Differential constitutive models and hereditary integrals are the main frameworks followed in the literature for modeling the viscoelastic behavior at finite deformations. Regular differential operators can be replaced by fractional-order derivatives in the standard models in order to make fractional viscoelastic models. In the present paper, the relaxation behavior of elastomers is formulated both in terms of ordinary (integer-order) and fractional differential viscoelastic models. The derived constitutive equations are fitted to several experimental data to compare their efficiency in modeling the stress relaxation phenomenon. Specifically, a fractional viscoelastic model with one fractional dashpot (FD) is compared with two ordinary models including respectively one and two ordinary dashpots (OD). The models are compared in fitting accuracy, number of required material parameters and also variation of parameters from one compound to another to clarify the effects of filler content and deformation rate. It is shown that, the results of the ordinary model with one OD is not good at all. The fractional model with one FD and the ordinary model with two ODs provide good fittings for all compounds whereas the former uses only three parameters and the latter uses five material parameters. For the fractional model, the order of the Maxwell element and the associated relaxation time approximately remain the same for different compounds of each material at certain loading rates, but it is not the case for the ordinary differential models.