MECHANICAL PROPERTIES IDENTIFICATION OF VULCANIZED RUBBER BY USING MOONEY-RIVLIN METHOD
Budi Setiyana, Rifky Ismail, S. Sugiyanto, J. Jamari

Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Diponegoro, Jl. Prof. Soedharto SH, Kampus Tembalang, Semarang 50275

Abstract

Identification of the mechanical properties of rubber is important to predict its performance. Due to hyper-elastic and nonlinear properties of rubber behavior, identification of its mechanical properties is more difficult than on metals. The mechanical properties of rubber are often expressed as a Strain Energy Function (SEF). Mechanical properties identification to obtain the SEF data is studied here. The analyzed rubber is vulcanized rubber, both hard and soft compound that are usually used as tire. Based on Mooney-Rivlin method, analysis of the tensile test results was conducted to obtain the SEF data. Verification was carried out by entering the SEF data into numerical simulation. Simulation using FE software was constructed as the friction contact between the rubber and its counter-surface. Results show that the values of stress and friction force in the hard compound is slightly greater than soft compound in the same cases. Fluctuating values was obtained along friction that was commonly seen in rubber friction. Additionally, by obtaining the SEF data, other mechanical properties can be predicted such as rubber hardness and rubber deformation when subjected to loading. Therefore, the mechanical performance of the rubber can be easily investigated

Keywords: Mechanical properties - Strain Energy Function - Vulcanized rubber

Topic: Engineering