Mullins' effect and the strain amplitude dependence of the storage modulus

Abstract

A micromechanically based continuum damage model for carbon black filled elastomers exhibiting Mullin's effect is extended to incorporate viscous response within the framework of a theory of viscoelasticity which includes the classical BKZ model as a particular case and is not restricted to isotropy. The resulting model is shown to qualitatively predict the important effect of a strain amplitude dependent storage modulus even without the inclusion of healing effects. The proposed model for filled elastomers is shown to be well motivated from micromechanical considerations and suitable for large scale numerical simulations.