Volume Changes in Filled Rubber Under Uniaxial Cyclic Loading

Abstract

Styrene-butadiene rubber, neat and filled with different silica content was investigated under uniaxial cyclic loading under a constant crosshead speed, with increasing deformation amplitude in subsequent loading cycles. Rubber was investigated in order to evaluate the reversibility of structure rearrangements, occurring in rubber when subjected to cyclic loading.

Volume uniformly increases with growing strain and shows hysteresis at unloading. After complete unloading, no residual strain changes are observed. These data are in good conformity with the data of density measurements, which were made on specimens before and after the tests. By correlating data, obtained from volume changes and kinetics of hysteresis losses there were made assumptions on deformation mechanisms at different elongations.

Deformational mechanisms, responsible for volume changes in rubber are reversible. Volume changes in specimen occur due to voids formation caused by filler microstructure breakage, rubber chains disentanglement, spaces between rubber macromolecular chains shrinkage, and chain slippage under higher elongations. Voids formation and deformation of rubber macromolecular chain reaches equilibrium state after certain elongation.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.17.3.592