Effect of Crosslink Density on Cut Growth in Gum Natural Rubber Vulcanizates

Abstract

Abstract Conventional sulfur-cured, gum natural rubber vulcanizates of various crosslink densities were prepared. Dumbbell test pieces with and without edge precuts were tested in uniaxial tension. Relative strengths of the different vulcanizates depended on cut size. Lightly crosslinked specimens exhibited an abrupt drop in strength at a critical cut size, ccr, which became smaller as crosslink density increased because of reduced strain crystallizability. At all cut depths, crack growth was simply perpendicular to the loading direction and crack surfaces were smooth. A moderately crosslinked composition exhibited crack deviation prior to rupture. This was associated with an unusual increase in strength with increasing cut size. Densely crosslinked networks exhibited lateral fracture, like the lightly crosslinked gums, but produced a jagged crack contour path reflective of a rough fracture surface. Moreover, for the highly crosslinked samples, a critical cut size was not found. Rather, log-log plots of strength versus cut depth were linear and had slopes slightly greater than minus one-half.