Detachment of an elastic matrix from a rigid spherical inclusion

Abstract

An approximate theoretical treatment is given for detachment of an elastomer from a rigid spherical inclusion by a tensile stress applied to the elastomeric matrix. The inclusion is assumed to have an initially-debonded patch on its surface and the conditions for growth of the patch are derived from fracture energy considerations. Catastrophic debonding is predicted to occur at a critical applied stress when the initial debond is small. The strain energy dissipated as a result of this detachment, and hence the mechanical hysteresis, are also evaluated. When a reasonable value is adopted for Young's modulus E of the elastomeric matrix, it is found that detachment from small inclusions, of less than about 0.1 mm in diameter, will not occur, even when the level of adhesion is relatively low. Instead, rupture of the matrix near the inclusion becomes the preferred mode of failure at an applied stress given approximately by E/2. For still smaller inclusions, of less than about 1 μm in diameter, rupture of the matrix becomes increasingly difficult, due to the increasing importance of a surface energy term. These considerations account for the general features of reinforcement of elastomers. Small-particle fillers become effectively bonded to the matrix, whereas larger inclusions induce fracture near them, or become detached from the matrix, at applied stress that can be calculated from the particle diameter, the strength of adhesion, and the elasticity of the matrix material.