Biaxial Fracture testing of rubber compounds

ABSTRACT: In this work the fracture toughness of natural rubber compounds under biaxial tensile load- ing condition was evaluated determining the J-integral by finite element analysis. To this aim a sound consti- tutive equation from tests under simple well-identified stress states such as tensile and plane strain test con- figurations was first determined for the studied materials. The models were then validated through the numerical simulation of both tensile tests under more complex stress states and of fracture tests in pure shear test configuration. The method was then applied to biaxial fracture tests previously performed.