Characterization of Strain Distribution in a Reinforced Rubber-Matrix Composite using Digital Volume Correlation

摘要

A rubber-matrix composite specimen, reinforced with nylon cords, was examinedrnusing the volumetric strain measurement technique known as Digital VolumernCorrelation (DVC) and modeled using a specialized finite element method. Thernspecimen was imaged in an X-ray micro-CT system in a custom load frame. Imagernsets were acquired at zero-load and at a single, applied tensile load. Dispersed glassrnmicro-beads and voids served as a suitable volumetrically distributed speckle patternrnfor application of the DVC technique. A specialized set of modeling codes, developedrnat the US Air Force Research Laboratory, was used to model the specimen. Theserncodes were used to establish the geometry of the nylon reinforcement cords, meshrnthese resulting solid descriptions, and perform a unique stress analysis on therncomplicated rubber and cord combined architecture. Constituent material propertiesrnwere also established in this research. Comparisons between the experimental andrnmodeled full-volume deformation fields yielded quite close agreement in both globalrnbehavior and local behavior, throughout the volume examined. Both the DVC resultsrnand modeling results indicated extensive influence of the nylon cord reinforcementsrnon the strain variation, as would be expected.