Search Results (4)

The accumulated plastic deformation induced by a cyclic traffic load will lead to destruction of the subgrade. Coarse-grained soil is a widely used subgrade filler. The GDS dynamic triaxial test was carried out on typical coarse-grained soil fillers to investigate the influence of different confining pressures, consolidation ratios and numbers of cyclic actions on the hysteresis curve under step cyclic loading. The results show that surrounding pressure can significantly reduce the energy lost from a soil sample under cyclic loading. Under the same stress level, increasing the consolidation ratio can effectively reduce the area enclosed by the hysteresis curve. When the stress is increased above a certain value, the strain of the response clearly changes with an increase in the number of cyclic loading. The research findings can theoretically guide the design of coarse-grained soil roadbeds in practical engineering. Full article

This work aimed at studying the effect of a silica specific surface area (SSA), as determined by the nitrogen adsorption method, on the viscoelastic and fatigue behaviors of silica-filled styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) composites. In particular, silica fillers with an SSA of 125 m²/g, 165 m²/g, and 200 m²/g were selected. Micro-computed X-ray tomography (µCT) was utilized to analyze the 3D morphology of the fillers within an SBR matrix prior to mechanical testing. It was found with this technique that the volume density of the agglomerates drastically decreased with decreasing silica SSA, indicating an increase in the silica dispersion state. The viscoelastic behavior was evaluated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and hysteresis loss experiments. The fatigue behavior was studied by cyclic tensile loading until rupture enabled the generation of Wöhler curves. Digital image correlation (DIC) was used to evaluate the volume strain upon deformation, whereas µCT was used to evaluate the volume fraction of the fatigue-induced cracks. Last, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize, in detail, crack mechanisms. The main results indicate that fatigue life increased with decreasing silica SSA, which was also accompanied by a decrease in hysteresis loss and storage modulus. SEM investigations showed that filler–matrix debonding and filler fracture were the mechanisms at the origin of crack initiation. Both the volume fraction of the cracks obtained by µCT and the volume strain acquired from the DIC increased with increasing SSA of silica. The results are discussed based on the prominent role of the filler network on the viscoelastic and fatigue damage behaviors of SBR composites. Full article

Ultra-small-angle neutron scattering (USANS) experiments are reported on isotropic magnetoactive elastomer (MAE) samples with different concentrations of micrometer-sized iron particles in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field up to 350 mT. The effect of the magnetic field on the scattering curves is observed in the scattering vector range between 2.5 × 10⁻⁵ and 1.85 × 10⁻⁴ Å⁻¹. It is found that the neutron scattering depends on the magnetization history (hysteresis). The relation of the observed changes to the magnetic-field-induced restructuring of the filler particles is discussed. The perspectives of employing USANS for investigations of the internal microstructure and its changes in magnetic field are considered. Full article

A micromechanical concept of filler-induced stress-softening and hysteresis is established that describes the complex quasi-static deformation behavior of filler reinforced rubbers upon repeated stretching with increasing amplitude. It is based on a non-affine tube model of rubber elasticity and a distinct deformation and fracture mechanics of filler clusters in the stress field of the rubber matrix. For the description of the clusters we refer to a three-dimensional generalization of the Kantor–Webman model of flexible chain aggregates with distinct bending–twisting and tension deformation of bonds. The bending–twisting deformation dominates the elasticity of filler clusters in elastomers while the tension deformation is assumed to be mainly responsible for fracture. The cluster mechanics is described in detail in the theoretical section, whereby two different fracture criteria of filler–filler bonds are considered, denoted “monodisperse” and “hierarchical” bond fracture mechanism. Both concepts are compared in the experimental section, where stress–strain cycles of a series of ethylene–propylene–diene rubber (EPDM) composites with various thermo-oxidative aging histories are evaluated. It is found that the “hierarchical” bond fracture mechanism delivers better fits and more stable fitting parameters, though the evolution of fitting parameters with aging time is similar for both models. From the adaptations it is concluded that the crosslinking density remains almost constant, indicating that the sulfur bridges in EPDM networks are mono-sulfidic, and hence, quite stable—even at 130 °C aging temperature. The hardening of the composites with increasing aging time is mainly attributed to the relaxation of filler–filler bonds, which results in an increased stiffness and strength of the bonds. Finally, a frame-independent simplified version of the stress-softening model is proposed that allows for an easy implementation into numerical codes for fast FEM simulations Full article