Hyperelastic constitutive model for rubber-like materials based on the first Seth strain measures invariant

Abstract

The mechanical behaviour of isotropic and incompressible vulcanized natural rubbers (NR's) and that of quasi-incompressible carbon black filled vulcanized natural rubbers (NR 70) are considered both theoretically and experimentally. Based on the Seth strain measures in terms of the first invariant, an original form of the strain energy density function W is derived. This function is actually a generalisation of that of the neo-Hookean model and satisfies the hypothesis of the Valanis-Landel function. In the present study the analytical form of W is identified by using only simple tension test data (simple tension and simple planar compression). In our experiments, the two-dimensional field of in-plane homogeneous displacements is determined by using a home-developed image analysis cross-correlation technique. Our model is also identified using results taken from the literature in the case of (NR's) tested under simple tension, equibiaxial tension and pure shear. Comparison of numerical results with the experimental data indicates that the present model can characterise the hyperelastic behaviour of NR's and that of NR 70 for all the tested modes of deformation. Moreover, it seems to be valid over a wide range of deformation.