Monotonic and cyclic compressive behaviour of elastomers

The present paper describes the changes in stress response that take place during the monotonic and cyclic deformation of elastomers. Cyclic compression testing was carried out to determine the elastomer's response under simulated service conditions. The stress changes were monitored continually. For a given uniaxial cyclic strain, the maximum equivalent stress decreased with cycles. Under conditions of two-dimensional cyclic strain, the stress response was higher and the changes occurred in two stages. Initially, the stress decayed quickly, then more slowly as strain cycling continued. This first stage was associated with viscoelastic effects. After a relatively stable period, the stress began to decrease again at a progressively faster rate as the end of the design life approached. This second stage was related to microstructural damage caused by bond failure. The total stress reduction is described by a two stage model, which combines the viscoelastic and damage effects. PRCPA/1402.