Modelling mechanical behaviour of continuously graded vulcanised rubbers

摘要

Tailoring the spatial distribution of material properties is a well-established concept in materials engineering and referred as functional grading.Vulcanised rubbers have been graded very recently using a construction-based (layering) method.Although these studies have indicated the possibility of continuously grading the mechanical and chemical properties,there is little information available in the literature regarding the mechanical behaviour of so-produced rubbers.The present study attempts to close this knowledge gap via mathematical modelling of the stress-strain fields in graded rubbers.Rectilinear shearing of graded rubber slabs is theoretically analysed as it allows us to obtain closed-form analytical solutions.It is found that the slabs can develop highly localised stress-strain fields depending on the spatial variation of the shear modulus.The results indicate the need for a design code to grade rubbers with a mechanical functionality and the potential risks in the absence of such a code.