Dynamic modulus of rubber by impact and rebound measurements

Abstract

AbstractWhen rubber is deformed an energy input is involved which is released in part when the rubber returns to its original shape. The part which is not returned as mechanical energy is dissipated as heat. The “rebound resilience” is defined as the ratio of the energy returned to the energy applied for deformation by an indentation due to a single impact. In this experiment, a pendulum mass and a test piece, as long as they are in contact, may be considered an oscillating system having one degree of freedom in which the rubber is a Voigt model. The correlation between rebound resilience and loss angle of the rubber may thus be derived. The measurement of the contact time between pendulum indentor tip and rubber surface, in addition to the rebound resilience, allows calculation of deformation, speed and acceleration of the damped sinusoidal motion. The penetration of the spherical indentor under a constant force depends on Young's modulus. Scott found an empirical relationship among force applied, depth of indentation, radius of the indentor tip and the modulus. This relationship has been recently improved by Stiehler and coworkers, The Stiehler formula has been used here for evaluating the storage modulus of rubber vulcanizates by using the maximum force transmitted by the impacting mass and the indentation depth of the test piece at the same time.