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Martin Kroon
Computational Mechanics, Volume 49, Number 1, 2012
Abstract
In the present study, a computational framework for studying high-speed crack growth in rubber-like solids under conditions of plane stress and steady-state is proposed. Effects of inertia, viscoelasticity and finite strains are included. The main purpose of the study is to examine the contribution of viscoelastic dissipation to the total work of fracture required to propagate a crack in a rubber-like solid. The computational framework builds upon a previous work by the present author (Kroon in Int J Fract 169:49–60, 2011). The model was fully able to predict experimental results in terms of the local surface energy at the crack tip and the total energy release rate at different crack speeds. The predicted distributions of stress and dissipation around the propagating crack tip are presented. The predicted crack tip profiles also agree qualitatively with experimental findings.
Additional Information:
Rubber is an important material in several engineering applications, and the fracture mechanics properties of rubber are therefore of great interest. In rubber, different types of dissipative processes in the material contribute significantly to the total work of fracture. In the present study, we consider dynamic crack propagation in rubber, and the problem is analyzed by use of an extended finite element method (FEM). Hence, in addition to the standard displacement degrees of freedom used in FEM, we add extra degrees of freedom associated with the viscous deformation of the material. By use of this extended FE framework, the contributions from viscosity (dissipation) and inertia to the total work of fracture are investigated.
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