Abstract
Component design of rubber-based anti-vibration devices remains a challenge, since there is a lack of predictive models in the typical regimes encountered by anti-vibration devices that are deformed to medium dynamic strains (0.5 to 3.5) at medium strain rates (0.5/s to 10/s). An approach is proposed that demonstrates all non-linear viscoelastic effects such as hysteresis and cyclic stress softening. As it is based on a free-energy, it is fast and easily implementable. The fitting parameters behave meaningfully when changing the filler volume fraction. The model was implemented for use in the commercial finite element software ABAQUS. Examples of how to fit experimental data and simulations for a variety of carbon black filled natural rubber compounds are presented.
Highlights
Suspension is one of the most important systems affecting a vehicle’s ride quality, and it is, a key factor in determining a vehicle’s performance
The underlying free energy density is derived on the basis of the extended non-affine tube model of rubber elasticity [29,30] which was shown to be the best compromise between fitting quality and number of parameters [31]
The parameters χ and C characterise the power law distribution of the amplification factor. They influence the response of the material in the loading paths, modifying the the level of stress and the dissipated energy and defining the level of continuum damage due to cyclic stress softening. n, c1,and c2 define the relaxation of the maximum amplitude factor to predict the continuum damage, so they operate on the response of the material at a strain higher than 1 and envelop the cyclic stress relaxation process
Summary
Suspension is one of the most important systems affecting a vehicle’s ride quality, and it is, a key factor in determining a vehicle’s performance. Quasi-static deformations up to large strains are of major interest In these particular conditions, the rubber exhibits non-linear viscoelastic behaviour such as the Mullins Effect, cyclic stress softening, hysteresis and induced anisotropy [1,2,3,4,5]. The rubber exhibits non-linear viscoelastic behaviour such as the Mullins Effect, cyclic stress softening, hysteresis and induced anisotropy [1,2,3,4,5] This characteristic response is related to the molecular microstructure, but it is not yet totally understood [6]. Recent Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations indicate that both phenomena may play a role [22,23] Most of these models include softening effects using non-time dependent mathematics, e.g., by softening the material based on maximum strain or stress measures. It is able to account for non-linear elasticity and strain history effects
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