Regarding viscoelastic effects in elastomeric fracture*

In our initial investigations of elastomeric fracture [1], we stayed in elastic limit where stress-strain curves overlap, independent of rate and temperature.  In this limit there is no correlation between temperature dependence of toughness and that of dynamic modulus, yet there is strong temperature and rate dependencies, which can only be explained by acknowledging bond dissociation as the controlling event in fracture [2].  In this study, we move into viscoelastic regime and investigate how our formulation of elastomeric fracture needs to be generalized.

[1] Fan, Z.; Wang, S.-Q. Resolving stress state at crack tip to elucidate nature of elastomeric fracture. Extreme Mechanics Letters 2023, 62, 101986.

[2] Wang, S.-Q.; Fan, Z. Investigating dependence of elastomeric fracture on temperature and rate. Rubber Chem. Technol. 2023, in press.