ABSTRACT
The majority of rubbery components in industrial applications is subjected to environmental influences. Especially exposition to oxygen leads to a change in material behaviour due to reaction of the network structure with oxygen. Its availibility is limited by diffusion processes leading to a deceleration of the oxidative aging processes in the inner regions, also known as Diffusion-Limited Oxidation (DLO). Using a dynamic network model presented in previous works, this coupled problem can be solved efficiently using a staggered solution algorithm. While classical two-network models are limited to two-step processes, this model is capable of simulating oxidative ageing under varying mechanical loads by describing the evolution of a single network which continuously softens and stiffens due to oxidation processes. The solution algorithm is implemented in ABAQUS and numerical results are shown. Comparison to experimental data shows the valid prediction of the change in mechanical behaviour for inhomogeneously aged parts.
