ABSTRACT
Natural rubber experiences a natural reinforcement caused by high deformation, called strain induced crystallisation. This phenomenon was primarily observed by Katz (1925). SIC usually starts at strains of 200–400% in natural rubber. In industrial applications the usage of natural rubber is advantageous because of SIC and its superior qualities such as increasing crack growth resistance.
In the last years, SIC has been a quite active topic with numerous publications, recent developments and new paradigms. Although it is a complicated subject for mechanicians because of the thermodynamics, polymer physics and sophisticated kinetics it is are warding subject for industrial as well as academic applications.
In this study, the overall objective is to find constitutive equations which describe the material behaviour of elastomers focused on the phenomenon of strain induced crystallisation. The following paper specifies a thermomechanical approach to model strain induced crystallisation of elastomers. The model is based on the concept of representative directions and considers thermoelasticity and crystallisation.
