ABSTRACT

The internal failure behavior of unfilled and silica filled Solution-Styrene-Butadiene-Rubber (SSBR) has been investigated with respect to cavity formation and growth during tensile deformation. The internal damage of rubber pancake specimen during tensile loading is caused by hydrostatic load due to constraint strain and incompressibility of rubber. Using a home-made dilatometric cell, stress as well as volume strain vs. apparent strain were determined simultaneously. Due to restricted shrinkage of pancake specimen in radial direction, the dilatometrically estimated volume change is related to cavitation. The present study focuses on investigations of the cavitation phenomena using mechanical tests and fracture surface analysis. According to results of former studies, network constitution (e.g. rubber-filler interaction) influences the onset of cavity formation and the rate of cavity growth for filled SSBR. It was found that size and size distribution of cavities determine the internal failure behavior of silica filled noncrystallizing rubber vulcanizates, like SSBR.