FINITE-ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF INTERFACE CRACKS IN RUBBER MATERIALS

An interface crack analysis in two different rubber materials is carried out using a plane stress non-linear finite clement method. A center cracked plate and a cracked pure shear specimen are used in the present analysis. The results obtained for tearing energy are validated for an interface crack in a center cracked plate made of two Neo-Hookean materials. After validation, the tearing energy calculations are made for an interface crack in two Neo-Hookean materials, two Mooney-Rivlin materials, and between Neo-Hookean and Mooney-Rivlin materials. The presented results of maximum tearing energy direction around the crack tip for the three cases illustrate the possible direction of crack growth initiation. It is shown that tearing energy for an interface crack in a pure shear specimen is approximately constant for the three crack lengths considered in different rubber material models.