Strain-Induced Crystallization and Strength of Rubber

2002 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 923-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. N. Gent ◽  
L.-Q. Zhang

Abstract The rate and extent of crystallization in crosslinked samples of natural rubber (NR), cis-1,4-polybutadiene (BR), and butyl rubber (IIR), were studied by observing the relaxation of stress in stretched strips, held at low temperatures. Melting temperatures were measured from the recovery of stress on warming. The melting temperature was raised by stretching, and the rise was significantly greater for NR than for BR, consistent with the lower heat of fusion of NR. In some cases crystallization was also followed by volume changes, or by DSC or x-ray diffraction. The maximum degree of crystallization was estimated to be only about 20% for BR, 28% for NR, and somewhat higher for IIR. On raising the temperature the tensile strength showed a marked drop to only 1–2 MPa when the elastomer failed to crystallize on stretching. At lower temperatures, when strain-induced crystallization occurred, the tensile strength was much higher, but the values were different for the three elastomers: about 10 MPa for BR, 20 MPa for NR, and 30 MPa for IIR, roughly in proportion to the inferred extent of crystallization. We speculate that molecular entanglements (more dense in BR and less dense in IIR than in NR) are severe obstacles to crystallization in high-molecular-weight polymers. Some specific molecular features are inferred that are needed for an elastomer to crystallize on stretching and to exhibit high strength over a wide temperature range.

2015 ◽  
Vol 815 ◽  
pp. 643-648
Author(s):  
Yin Zhu ◽  
Jiong Xin Zhao

The effect of heat setting methods on the structures and mechanical properties of high strength polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibre is studied in this article. The microstructure and mechanical properties of heat treated PVA fibre is investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and single fibre electronic tensile strength tester. Results show that the heat setting method with constant tension is a good heat setting method which can largely enhance the tensile strength of PVA fibre. During the heat setting process, the mechanical properties of PVA fibre are greatly affected by the temperature, tension and setting time. When the temperature is 220°C, tension is 5cN/dtex and setting time is 90sec, the tensile strength of PVA fibre increases from 12.0cN/dtex to 16.4cN/dtex in compare with the PVA fibre without heat setting


Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 2507
Author(s):  
Jinxian Zhai ◽  
Hanpeng Zhao ◽  
Xiaoyan Guo ◽  
Xiaodong Li ◽  
Tinglu Song

The relationship between temperature and the mechanical properties of an end cross-linked equal molar random copolyether elastomer of 3,3-bis(azidomethyl)oxetane and tetrahydrofuran (P(BAMO-r-THF)) was investigated. During this investigation, the performances of two P(BAMO-r-THF) elastomers with different thermal histories were compared at different temperatures. The elastomer as prepared at 20 °C (denoted as S0) exhibited semi-crystallization morphology. Wide angle X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the crystal grains within elastomer S0 result from the crystallization of BAMO micro-blocks embedded in P(BAMO-r-THF) polymeric chains, and the crystallinity is temperature irreversible under static conditions. After undergoing a heating-cooling cycle, this elastomer became an amorphous elastomer (denoted as S1). Regarding mechanical properties, at 20 °C, break strains and stresses of 315 ± 22% and 0.46 ± 0.01 MPa were obtained for elastomer S0; corresponding values of 294 ± 6% and 0.32 ± 0.02 MPa were obtained for elastomer S1. At −40 °C, these strains and stresses simultaneously increased to 1085 ± 21% and 8.90 ± 0.72 MPa (S0) and 1181 ± 25% and 10.23 ± 0.44 MPa (S1), respectively, owing to the strain-induced crystallization of BAMO micro-blocks within the P(BAMO-r-THF) polymeric chains.


Soft Matter ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 734-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pinzhang Chen ◽  
Jingyun Zhao ◽  
Yuanfei Lin ◽  
Jiarui Chang ◽  
Lingpu Meng ◽  
...  

The structural evolution of NR during stretching at −40 °C and in the strain–temperature space.


Crystals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konrad Schneider ◽  
Matthias Schwartzkopf

Vulcanized natural rubber (unfilled and filled with 20 phr carbon black) is strained. We suppress the macroscopic formation of fiber symmetry by choosing strip-shaped samples ("pure-shear geometry") and investigate the orientation of the resulting crystallites by two-dimensional wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), additionally rotating the sample tape about the straining direction. Indications of a directed reinforcing effect of the strain-induced crystallization (SIC) in the thin strip are found. In the filled material fewer crystallites are oriented and the orientation distribution of the oriented crystallites is less perfect. The results confirm, that it is important for the evaluation of crystallinity under deformation to check, whether fiber symmetry can be assumed. This has consequences in particular on the quantitative interpretation of space-resolved scanning experiments in the vicinity of crack tips. Furthermore it raises the question, whether there is an asymmetric reinforcing effect of the SIC in the vicinity of crack tips inside natural rubber.


2005 ◽  
Vol 38 (16) ◽  
pp. 7064-7073 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeyuki Toki ◽  
Igors Sics ◽  
Benjamin S. Hsiao ◽  
Masatoshi Tosaka ◽  
Sirilux Poompradub ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang-Ryeoul Ryu ◽  
Jong-Whan Sung ◽  
Dong-Joo Lee

Abstract The mechanical properties and strain-induced crystallization (SIC) of elastomeric composites were investigated as functions of the extension ratio (λ), multiwalled carbon nanotube (CNT) content, and carbon black (CB) content. The tensile strength and modulus gradually increase with increasing CNT content when compared with the matrix and the filled rubbers with same amount of CB. Both properties of rubber with CB and CNT show the magnitude of each CNT and CB component following the Pythagorean Theorem. The ratio of tensile modulus is much higher than that of tensile strength because of the CNT shape/orientation and an imperfect adhesion between CNT and rubber. The tensile strength and modulus of the composite with a CNT content of 9 phr increases up to 31% and 91%, respectively, compared with the matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis reveals that the degree of SIC increases with an increase in CNT content. Mechanical properties have a linear relation with the latent heat of crystallization (LHc), depending on the CNT content. As the extension ratio increases, the glass-transition temperature (Tg) of the composite increases for CB- and CNT-reinforced cases. However, the LHc has a maximum of λ = 1.5 for the CNT-reinforced case, which relates to a CNT shape and an imperfect adhesion with rubber. Based on these results, the reinforcing mechanisms of CNT and CB are discussed.


2011 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bertrand Huneau

Abstract Strain-induced crystallization of natural rubber was discovered in 1925 by the means of x-ray diffraction and has been widely investigated by this technique until today. The studies devoted to the structure of the crystalline phase of natural rubber are first reviewed. This structure is strongly anisotropic and can be related to the exceptionally good strength and fatigue properties of this material. The relationships between strain-induced crystallization of natural rubber and its mechanical response, during static or tension-retraction tests, are also reviewed and discussed; in particular, the hysteresis of the stress-strain curve is mainly explained by strain-induced crystallization. The kinetics of crystallization under both static and cyclic deformation is also discussed, as well as the influence of different factors, depending either on material composition (crosslink density, carbon black fillers) or on external parameters (temperature, strain rate…).


2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syeda A. Hussain ◽  
Michelle S. Hoo Fatt

Abstract Tensile tests were conducted to obtain the deformation and failure characteristics of unfilled natural rubber (NR) and natural rubber with 25, 50, and 75 phr of N550 carbon black filler under quasistatic and dynamic loading conditions. The quasistatic tests were performed on an electromechanical INSTRON machine, while the dynamic test data were obtained from tensile impact experiments using a Charpy impact apparatus. In general, the modulus of the stress-extension ratio curves increases with increasing strain rate up to about 407, 367, 346, and 360 s−1 for unfilled, and 25, 50, and 75 phr for filled NR, respectively. Above these strain rates, the unfilled and filled natural rubber stress-extension ratio curves remained unchanged. The modulus increased with increasing strain rate because there was little time for stress relaxation. Above a critical strain rate, no change in modulus was observed because the time of the experiment was short compared to the lowest characteristic relaxation time of the material. Dynamic stress-extension ratio curves did not have the very sharp upturn at break, which is observed from strain-induced crystallization in natural rubber under quasistatic loading. Strain-induced crystallization appeared to be suppressed at high rates of loading. In fact, the highest dynamic tensile strength for the 25- and 50-phr carbon black-filled natural rubbers was smaller than those under quasistatic loading, while the highest dynamic tensile strength of the 75-phr carbon black-filled NR was greater than that in the static test. This indicated that high amounts of carbon black fillers will impede strain-induced crystallization in natural rubber.


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