Micromechanical analysis of fatigue cracks in cord-rubber composites

Analyses of two different types of cracks due to fatigue of cord-rubber composites is carried out using micromechanical two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) finite element analysis. The fracture parameter, tearing energy (TE)/J-integral that characterizes the severity of crack tip stresses in rubber composites, is computed from the finite element results of stresses and strains. The results obtained are validated with existing analytical methods in the literature. Numerical results of J-integral values are presented for two crack types, and crack sizes under transverse strain and shear strain loading conditions. The results presented illustrate that crack type, loading, and crack size have a strong effect on the values of J-integral. The results of the J-integral should help our understanding in estimating the severity of local failures in cord-rubber composites. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.