Factors that Affect

the Fatigue Life of Rubber:

A Literature Survey
W. V. Mars* - Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.
A. Fatemi - U. of Toledo

Paper #6 (the paper can be purchased at www.rubber.org)

ACS Rubber Division Meeting
*Speaker,
Savannah, Georgia
wvmars@coopertire.com
April 29, 2002
 Overview
• Part I - “A Literature Survey on Fatigue Analysis Approaches for
Rubber”, W. V. Mars, A. Fatemi, Int. J. Fatigue, Vol. 24, No. 9, pp.
949-961, 2002.
– Crack Nucleation Approach (S-N style)
– Crack Growth Approach (dc/dn = f(T))

• Today - Important Factors

– Mechanical Load History
– Environmental Conditions
– Rubber Formulation
– Stress-Strain Behavior
Parameters for Simple Histories
Parameter P

P
a P
max

P P
R min
m
P
min
Pmax

Time
 Effect of Minimum Strain
•Filled NR

Cadwell et al, Ind.

Eng. Chem., Anal.
Ed., 12, 19 (1940)
Effects of Max. SERR & R-Ratio
1.E-02

Unstable Crack Growth

R =0
R = 0.035
R = 0.061
1.E-03
R = 0.35
R = 0.47
Crack Growth Rate, mm/cycle

1.E-04

Transition Regime
Sub-Threshold Regime

1.E-05
Power-Law Regime

1.E-06 •Unfilled NR

1.E-07

Lindley, Int. J.
Fracture, 9, 449
1.E-08
1.E-02 1.E-01 1.E+00 1.E+01
(1973)
2
Maximum Energy Release Rate, kJ/m
 Effect of Static Period
under Strain

Roland, Sobiesky,
•Polyisoprene RCT, 62, 683 (1989)
 Effect of Load Sequence

ε ε

ε ε

Cycles

Sun et al,
TSTCA, 28, 196
(2000)
 Effect of Waveform
(Both compounds based on BIIR)

Pulse

Sine
Compound B

Hardy et al,
RubberChem ‘99,
Paper #2, Antwerp,
Compound A Belgium, (1999)
 Effect of Strain Rate

Young, RCT, 59,

Unfilled CIIR Unfilled NR 809 (1986)
 Multiaxial Loading
Undeformed Deformed

•Applied Loads Crack Loading?

• Crack Closure?
δmax δmin
H
1
•Material property dependence on
multiaxial loading?
2

Cadwell et al, Ind.

Eng. Chem., Anal.
Ed., 12, 19 (1940) http://www.umi.com/hp/Products/Dissertations.html - “Multiaxial
Fatigue of Rubber”, by W. V. Mars, U. of Toledo, 2001
 Effect of Temperature
CIIR Natural Rubber BR

Young, RCT, 59,

809 (1986)
 Temperature and To?

n monomer units
crosslink
Crack tip -
Undeformed L Plane of Crack
State Propagation

crosslink
Lake & Thomas,
Proc. Roy. Soc.
Lon., A, 300 , 108
(1967)
Effects of Ozone and Oxygen
CIIR Natural Rubber

Young, RCT, 59,

809 (1986)
 Electrical Charges?
• Electro- & tribo- elastic effects cause electric
charges to accumulate under cyclic deformation.
• Metallic grips grounded, then insulated.
• Effect on fatigue resistance.
– Grounded condition gives longer fatigue life
– Larger filler loading - larger effect

Dogadkin et al, RCT,

33, 970 (1960)
 Polymer / Filler Effects

da/dN
Gum
Filled with 50 phr N300
carbon black (fine)

+ Filled with 50 phr N900

carbon black (coarse)

Lake & Lindley,

Rubber J., 146
(10), 24 (1964)
 Antidegradants

Air, Gum NR, No AO

Vaccum, Gum NR, No AO

Air, Gum NR, +AO

Lake & Lindley,

Rubber J., 146
(10), 24 (1964)
Proposed Effect of Hysteresis

Lake & Thomas,

Proc. Roy. Soc.
Lon., A, 300 , 108
(1967)
Strain Crystallization

Choi & Roland, RCT,

70, 202 (1997)
 The Mullins Effect
7

Monotonic

strain
18% peak strain
6
37% peak strain
94% peak strain

time
Engineering Stress, MPa

2
•Progressively
Increasing Simple
Mars, Ph.D. 1 Tension,
Dissertation, U. •N = 8
Toledo, (2001) 0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

Engineering Strain, mm/mm

 Tc and Loss Modulus

Data points are for

various butadiene-
styrene and butadiene-
acrylonitrile co-
polymers

Mullins, Trans. IRI,

35, 213 (1959)
 Summary
Mechanical Load History
• Alternating Load and Maximum Load
• Minimum Load, Mean Load, R-Ratio
• Statically Strained Rest Period
• Load Sequence
• Multiaxial Loading
• Frequency / Waveform
 Summary
Environmental Conditions
• Temperature
• Ozone
• Oxygen
• Electrical Charges?
 Summary
Rubber Formulation
• Polymer Type
• Filler Type and Loading
• Antidegradants
• Vulcanization
 Summary
Stress-Strain Behavior
• Strain-Crystallization
• Mullins Effect
• Rate-Independent Hysteresis
• Viscoelasticity
Questions and Discussion