An extended tube model for thermo-viscoelasticity of rubberlike materials: Parameter identification and examples

The extended tube-model was presented by KALISKE & HEINRICH (RCT 72, 602-632) in 1999 as a novel approach for isothermal hyperelasticity of rubberlike materials. This contribution is dedicated to its further development to finite non-linear thermo-viscoelasticity. A non-linear evolution law and a thermo-mechanical coupled free energy formulation are the kernel of the phenomenological approach where the elastic material response is inspired by statistical-mechanical theory. The representation of viscoelasticity is based on a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient. The Helmholtz free energy of the material is formulated in terms of isothermal free energy functions multiplicatively coupled with non-linear temperature evolution functions. The non-linear evolution law for the viscous material branch is solved by applying a predictor-corrector algorithm with an exponential mapping scheme. In today's literature, several sophisticated thermo-mechanical material models are available. However, they are built upon a considerable number of material parameters governing the mechanical and thermal material response which need to be identified for practical application. Therefore, particular emphasis is given to an appropriate parameter identification technique for the thermal field. For the latter, a uniaxial extension test is carried out where the recorded data of the temperature field of the rubber specimen under cyclic loading is used for parameter identification. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Fourier-integral-operator product representation of solutions to first-order symmetrizable hyperbolic systems

We consider the first-order Cauchy problem

Large RF susceptibility of transverse domain walls

Changes in domain wall resistance under radio-frequency (RF) irradiation are experimentally studied for transverse walls. An original experimental technique is applied to the measurement in a permalloy nano-stripe with a notch, where the walls are found to provide a largely enhanced resistive response as compared to saturated domains. Their susceptibility is found to be an order of magnitude larger than that of the domains in a frequency range between 5 and 20 GHz. We argue that the RF fields induce an internal distortion of the magnetization profile that depends on the shape of the domain wall.     

Computation of material forces for the thermo-mechanical response of dynamically loaded elastomers

Elastomers are widely used in today's life. The material is characterized by large deformability upon failure, elastic and time dependent as well as non-time dependent effects which can be also a function of temperature. In addition, cyclically loaded components show heat build-up which is due to dissipation. As a result, the temperature evolution of an elastomeric component can strongly influence the material properties and durability characteristics. Representing best the real thermo-mechanical behaviour of an elastomeric component in its design process is one motivation for the use of sophisticated, coupled material approaches within numerical simulations. In order to assess the durability characteristics, for example regarding crack propagation, material forces (configurational forces) are one possible approach to be applied. In the present contribution, the implementation of material forces for a thermo-mechanically coupled material model including a continuum mechanical damage (CMD) approach is demonstrated in the context of the Finite Element Method (FEM). Special emphasis is given to material forces resulting from internal variables (viscosity and damage variables), temperature field evolution and dynamic loading. Using the example of an elastomeric component, for which the material model parameters have been previously identified by a uniaxial extension test, material forces are evaluated quantitatively. The influence of each contribution (internal variables, temperature field and dynamics) is illustrated and compared to the overall material force response. (© 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Raman scattering investigations of KY3F10

Single crystals of the fluoride compound KY₃F₁₀ (O_h⁵) were studied by Raman scattering from 40 to 950 K. Group theory analysis predicts 3A_1g + 4E_g + 6F_2g Raman-active modes, but the experimental spectra show two F_2g modes missing. Over the whole temperature range the frequency shifts are negligible whereas the line widths show a strong increase with temperature. Both reversible and irreversible line width behaviour are exhibited for different temperature runs, indicating a complex microscopic phenomenon underlying the creation of defects responsible for these line widths and their interaction with the different phonon modes. An approximate activation energy for defect creation of ΔE ≈︁ 0.3 eV can be obtained from the temperature behaviour of the line widths. This activation energy may be connected with the high-temperature ionic conduction mentioned previously for this crystal.     

Application of numerical methods for the calculation of size distribution functions of polymers produced by ionic polymerizations

The application of numerical methods for the calculation of the molecular weight distribution of living ionic polymerization, carried out in the presence of monofunctional and polyfunctional transfer agents, is described. The methods used include the numerical solution of a system of differential equations by the Runge-Kutta-Merson procedure and the statistical Monte-Carlo approach. When a monofunctional transfer agent is used, the Runge-Kutta-Merson procedure is quite useful for the calculation of the molecular weight distribution for various polymerization systems. When a polymerization is carried out in the presence of a polyfunctional transfer agent, the mechanism includes the coupling of polymer chains. Due to the complexity of the system, the Runge-Kutta-Merson procedure is hardly applicable and problems of this type should be solved by a Monte Carlo simulation procedure. Once a computer program has been written, both methods allow the chemist to calculate the molecular weight distribution of a polymer as a function of the different kinetic parameters of the polymerization.     

Thermo-mechanical modeling of crack propagation in dynamically loaded elastomer specimens using a scaled boundary finite element approach

Recently, a scaled boundary finite element (SBFE) formulation for geometrically and physically nonlinear materials has been developed using the scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM). The SBFE formulation has been employed to describe plane stress problems of notched and unnotched hyperelastic elastomer specimens. In this contribution, the derived SBFE formulation is extended to nonlinear time- and temperature-dependent material behavior. Subsequently, the SBFE formulation is incorporated into a crack propagation scheme to model crack propagation in cyclically loaded elastomer specimens of the so-called tear fatigue analyzer (TFA). (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)