Strain energy functions for filled elastomers

Abstract

AbstractIt is the purpose of this research to investigate possible forms of elastic strain energy functions which reproduce the fundamental behavior of compressible, isotropic filled elastomers as observed in experiments. Three different forms of the strain energy function are considered, although they can be classified into two essentially different classes: in the first case, the function is assumed to be the sum of the distortional and the volumetric strain energy, while in the second it represents a possible modification of Mooney's strain energy function. For these three strain energy functions, the relations between axial and lateral deformations under uniaxial tension are plotted together with the result of experiments performed on dumbbell‐shaped specimens of a KCI‐filled polyurethane. The relations in uniaxial tension and compression between the axial stress and deformation are also plotted.