| Abstract: | A theoretical treatment is given for the formation of visible holes in an elastic solid. It differs from previous treatments of bubble formation in liquids by neglecting the problem of hole nucleation altogether. Instead, a small spherical hole is assumed to be present initially. The inflation of such a hole by a dissolved gas is then considered. A critical internal pressure is deduced, at which the hypothetical hole would become infinitely large. This pressure is given by 5G/2; where G is the shear modulus of the rubber. Some model experiments are described in which swollen rubber vulcanizates were rapidly heated to bring the dissolved liquid into a superheated conditions. The temperatures of rapid bubble formation were determined for a number of vulcanizates having different degrees of crosslinking and hence different values of shear modulus, and for different swelling liquids. The results are shown to be in reasonably good quantitative agreement with the theoretical predictions. |
