ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Strain-Induced Crystallization (SIC) phenomenon in elastomers is widely investigated, especially for natural rubber. It is considered as a major reinforcement mechanism explaining the very good mechanical properties of natural rubber, particularly its resistance to crack growth. Despite the fact that most of the studies are focused on natural rubber, other elastomers also exhibit SIC. Here, we study the ability of Hydrogenated Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber (HNBR), a synthetic rubber with high resistance to heat and petroleum products, to crystallize when it is stretched. Few studies have reported results on the SIC of HNBR, but none present a quantitative evolution of the phenomenon for different elongations. In the present study, X-ray diffraction patterns are obtained at three temperatures (20°C, 30°C and 40°C) for HNBR cross-linked with peroxide. These are recorded during uniaxial tensile tests at low strain rate in order to establish the relationship between the index of crystallinity and the stretch ratio; the orientation of the amorphous part of the elastomer is also presented.
