ABSTRACT
It is common practice in the application of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to model elastomers with hyperelasticity, capturing the nonlinear elasticity at large strains. In the application area of sealing, FEA practitioners have successfully used hyperelasticity and linear viscoelasticity for over two decades now, Gent (1992). Commercial FEA software packages offer more advanced capabilities, such as nonlinear viscoelasticity, stiffness damage (Mullins effect) and plasticity, yet it is rare to see these advanced capabilities used in practice, Volgers (2016). We believe this is largely due to the lack of calibration strategies and tools, and perhaps the lack of good examples of these advanced modeling features used to capture elastomer behaviors with higher fidelity. This paper speaks to the calibration strategies and methodologies required to construct advanced material models. Our goal is to raise the bar in terms of common practice of modeling elastomer behavior, hopefully to include these advanced features more routinely in elastomer applications of FEA.
