Abstract
Fatigue tests on ethylene propylene (EPDM) and styrene-butadiene (SBR) rubber revealed physical behaviour that is not seen in stiffer less extensible materials. Uniaxial cyclic tests, using cylindrical dumbbell testpieces, with the same minimum stress of zero (smin = 0) and varying stress amplitude (sa), predictably gave decreased fatigue life with increased stress amplitude and hence maximum stress (smax). However, tensile uniaxial cyclic tests where smin was increased in successive tests whilst the stress (sa) remained constant, produced longer fatigue lives for higher values of smax. EPDM and SBR materials were chosen for the tests because they do not strain crystallise during deformation and consequently this phenomenon has no influence. The results show that for smax cannot be used as a criterion to predict fatigue life of non-strain crystallising elastomers which are filled. An evaluation of recorded data of stress against strain gave evidence that energies control the fatigue life rather than stress and strain. However, what role the dissipated energy plays remains an open question. Experimental results on filled and unfilled rubber materials are evaluated and discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Elastomers and Components |
| Subtitle of host publication | Service Life Prediction - Progress and Challenges |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Pages | 59-73 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781845691134 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781845691004 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 30 Oct 2006 |
| Externally published | Yes |