Fatigue Life Of Rubber Research Articles

Experiment and modeling of uniaxial tension fatigue performances for filled natural rubbers

A tension fatigue model of filled natural rubbers is investigated to study the contributions of two key factors, namely, the damage parameter and the specimen geometry used in the fatigue experiment. The uniaxial tension fatigue experiments were carried out for three filled natural rubber specimens with different geometry: a dumbbell simple tension specimen (STS), a dumbbell cylindrical specimen (DCS), and a hollow cylindrical specimen (HCS). The commonly used damage parameters for fatigue life prediction are discussed. The fatigue life prediction models are formulated using the measured tension fatigue life of the STS together with different damage parameters. The effectiveness of the models is established in terms of a correlation coefficient characterizing the error between the measured and predicted fatigue lives. It is concluded that all the damage parameters considered in the study can effectively estimate the tension fatigue life with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.9. The fatigue life model formulated for the STS was also found to be appropriate for predicting the fatigue life of specimens with different geometry (DCS and HCS) suggesting that the relationship between the tension fatigue life and the damage parameters is independent of the specimen geometry. One may thus conduct tension fatigue tests with STS alone in order to model the tension fatigue life of rubbers with alternate geometry.

Methods for Measuring and Predicting Fatigue Life of Rubber Mounts of Vehicle Powertrain

A fatigue experiment is carried out for a rubber dumbbell cylindrical specimen and a rubber mount of vehicle powertrain. The dumbbell cylindrical specimen and the mount for vehicle powertrain are made of filled natural rubbers with the same formula. The calculation method for three damage parameters to estimate fatigue of rubbers is described and discussed. The damage parameters include strain energy density, maximum principal Green-Lagrange strain and effective stress. Based on the measured fatigue life data of dumbbell cylindrical specimen, three models using different damage parameters to predict rubber fatigue life is presented. The fatigue life of the mount predicted by the three models is estimated and is compared with the experimental fatigue life. The fatigue life calculated using the modes with strain energy density or maximum principal Green-Lagrange strain as the damage parameter is in a poor agreement with the experimental fatigue life within a factor of four. The model using effective stress as damage parameter can predict the fatigue life within a factor of two, which is the best prediction among the three models. It's concluded that the proposed model for fatigue life prediction with the effective stress can be used to estimate the fatigue life for a rubber mount of vehicle powertrain.

Summary of Fatigue Life Research Method on Rubber Components

This paper summarizes the rubber component's fatigue life research methods, mainly includes the crack nucleation method, the crack propagation method and the S-N curve method, sums up the these methods from different angels of fatigue life, and various methods based on the choices are given; Based on the working conditions and fatigue failure evaluation criteria to choose the appropriate design calculation method, in order to achieve relatively accurate results of fatigue life prediction and simplify the calculation, and separately summarized FEM used in the rubber fatigue life on the application and progress in the recent stage.

Rubber fatigue life under multiaxial loading: Numerical and experimental investigations

Numerical and experimental aspects of rubber fatigue crack initiation are investigated in this study. A parameter based on the strain energy density (SED) and predicting the onset of primary crack and its probable orientation was identified for such materials according to the investigations of Mars and Fatemi [1]. In a last work, we have analytically developed this criterion for simple tension (UT), biaxial tension (BT) and simple shear (SS) loadings in the framework of finite strains. The results denote the possibility to predict the orientation plane in which the primary crack would be expected to occur in a material. Then, it was implemented in a finite elements (FE) program. FE and analytical results for the usual strain states were compared and perfect agreement was highlighted. In this study, the load history dependence of the criterion is also pointed out and discussed. Finally, to evaluate life time up to crack nucleation, we have achieved a set of experimental fatigue tests using uniaxial tension (UT) and pure shear (PS) test specimens containing a hole in order to localise the crack initiation. We have also exploited a literature database issued from uniaxial and torsion fatigue tests. The obtained results prove the efficiency of the criterion to describe the fatigue life of rubbers under multiaxial loading.

Effect of the blooming of chemical curatives on the cyclic fatigue life of natural rubber filled with a silanized silica nanofiller

AbstractWhen partly soluble chemical curatives are mixed with raw rubber, they migrate to the rubber surface, which can be detrimental to the rubber properties. Two rubber compounds with different amounts of curatives were prepared by mixing natural rubber with a high loading of precipitated amorphous white silica nanofiller. The silica surfaces were pretreated with bis(3‐triethoxysilylpropyl)‐tetrasulfide coupling agent to chemically adhere silica to the rubber. The chemical bonding between the filler and rubber was optimized via the tetrasulfane groups of bis(3‐triethoxysilylpropyl)‐tetrasulfide by adding accelerator and activator. The rubber compounds were cured and stored at ambient temperature for up to 65 days. One compound showed extensive blooming as a function of storage time. The cyclic fatigue life of the rubber vulcanizates was subsequently measured at a constant strain amplitude and test frequency at ambient temperature. The blooming of the chemical curatives reduced the cyclic fatigue life of the rubber vulcanizate by more than 100%. The migrated chemical curatives produced a thin layer approximately 15 μm in size beneath the rubber surface. When the rubber was stressed repeatedly in the fatigue test, cracks initiated in this layer and subsequently grew, causing the fatigue life of the vulcanizate to decrease. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011

Description of fatigue damage in carbon black filled natural rubber

ABSTRACTThe present paper describes macroscopic fatigue damage in carbon black‐filled natural rubber (CB‐NR) under uniaxial loading conditions. Uniaxial tension‐compression, fully relaxing uniaxial tension and non‐relaxing uniaxial tension loading conditions were applied until sample failure. Results, summarized in a Haigh‐like diagram, show that only one type of fatigue damage is observed for uniaxial tension‐compression and fully relaxing uniaxial tension loading conditions, and that several different types of fatigue damage take place in non‐relaxing uniaxial tension loading conditions. The different damage types observed under non‐relaxing uniaxial tension, loading conditions are closely related to the improvement of rubber fatigue life. Therefore, as fatigue life improvement is classically supposed to be due to strain‐induced crystallization (SIC), a similar conclusion can be drawn for the occurrence of different types of fatigue damage.

Prediction of rubber fatigue life under multiaxial loading

ABSTRACTThe process of fatigue failure of materials is generally described by two phases: crack initiation and crack propagation. This study concerns the crack initiation in rubbers submitted to a cyclic loading. A parameter based on the strain energy density (SED) and predicting the onset of primary crack and its probable orientation has been identified for such materials according to the investigations of Mars and Fatemi. More precisely, this criterion has been analytically developed in the cases of simple tension, biaxial tension and simple shear loadings by assuming large strains. The results denote the possibility to predict the orientation plane in which the primary crack would be expected to occur in a material. Then, it was implemented in a finite‐elements (FE) program in order to be applied to structures under any kind of the strain states. A good agreement was obtained between FE and analytical results for the usual strain states. Finally, to evaluate lifetime up to crack nucleation, we have achieved a set of experimental fatigue tests using uniaxial tension (UT) and pure shear (PS) test specimens containing a hole in order to localize the crack initiation. The obtained results proved the efficiency of the criterion to describe the fatigue life of rubbers under multiaxial loading.

Heat aging effects on the material property and the fatigue life of vulcanized natural rubber, and fatigue life prediction equations

When natural rubber is used for a long period of time, it becomes aged ; it usually becomes hardened and loses its damping capability. This aging process affects not only the material property but also the (fatigue) life of natural rubber. In this paper the aging effects on the material property and the fatigue life were experimentally investigated. In addition, several fatigue life prediction equations for natural rubber were proposed. In order to investigate the aging effects on the material property, the load-stretch ratio curves were plotted from the results of the tensile test, the compression test and the simple shear test for virgin and heat-aged rubber specimens Rubber specimens were heat-aged in an oven at a temperature ranging from 50°C to 90°C for a period ranging from 2 days to 16 days. In order to investigate the aging effects on the fatigue life, fatigue tests were conducted for differently heat-aged hourglass-shaped and simple shear specimens. Moreover, finite element simulations were conducted for the specimens to calculate physical quantities occurring in the specimens such as the maximum value of the effective stress, the stram energy density, the first invariant of the Cauchy-Green deformation tensor and the maximum principal nominal strain. Then, four fatigue life prediction equations based on one of the physical quantities could be obtained by fitting the equations to the test data. Finally, the fatigue life of a rubber bush used in an automobile was predicted by using the prediction equations, and it was compared with the test data of the bush to evaluate the reliability of those equations.

Factors that Affect the Fatigue Life of Rubber: A Literature Survey

Abstract Many factors are known to influence the mechanical fatigue life of rubber components. Four major categories of factors are reviewed here: the effects of mechanical loading history, environmental effects, effects of rubber formulation, and effects due to dissipative aspects of the constitutive response of rubber. For each category, primary factors are described, and existing literature is presented and reviewed. Rubber's fatigue behavior is extremely sensitive to both the maximum and minimum cyclic load limits. Other aspects of the mechanical load history are also discussed, including the effects of static loaded periods (“annealing”), load sequence, multiaxiality, frequency, and loading waveform. Environmental factors can affect both the short and long term fatigue behavior of rubber. The effects of temperature, oxygen, ozone, and static electrical charges are reviewed. A great range of behavior is available by proper manipulation of formulation and processing variables. Effects of elastomer type, filler type and volume fraction, antidegradants, curatives, and vulcanization are discussed. The role of dissipative constitutive behavior in the improvement of fatigue properties of rubber is also reviewed. Four distinct dissipative mechanisms are identified, and their effects on fatigue behavior are described.

Dynamic Fatigue Life of Rubber

Abstract If a rubber member is continuously vibrated it will sooner or later crack and ultimately rupture, owing to the repeated oscillations to which it has been subjected. The gradual deterioration of physical and chemical properties which accompanies such vibration is called dynamic fatigue. The number of such repeated vibrations required to rupture the rubber member is here defined as the dynamic fatigue life of the member for the particular condition of vibration imposed. The authors wish to outline briefly the general nature of the results they have obtained in their studies on the dynamic fatigue life of rubber and, in particular, to show the critical dependence of the life on the imposed oscillation conditions. The dynamic fatigue life of rubber which is being vibrated linearly, that is, back and forth along its own length, between constant strain limits will be discussed first. Figures 1 to 3 facilitate a general statement of the problem and also serve to define certain oscillation limits which are of fundamental importance with reference to dynamic fatigue life. The sketches are conventionalized for the sake of simplicity.