Supersonic Rupture of Rubber

TL;DR

This paper investigates the unique supersonic rupture behavior of rubber, presenting theoretical models that explain its dynamics, dissipation effects, and scaling laws, with results aligning well with experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces multiple theoretical models, including numerical, continuum, and discrete, to explain supersonic rubber rupture, a phenomenon not seen in conventional fracture.

Findings

Rupture speed is determined by strain levels ahead of the crack tip.

Dissipation is crucial for rupture propagation and stability.

Models accurately reproduce experimental rupture speeds and scaling laws.

Abstract

The rupture of rubber differs from conventional fracture. It is supersonic, and the speed is determined by strain levels ahead of the tip rather than total strain energy as for ordinary cracks. Dissipation plays a very important role in allowing the propagation of ruptures, and the back edges of ruptures must toughen as they contract, or the rupture is unstable. This article presents several levels of theoretical description of this phenomenon: first, a numerical procedure capable of incorporating large extensions, dynamics, and bond rupture; second, a simple continuum model that can be solved analytically, and which reproduces several features of elementary shock physics; and third, an analytically solvable discrete model that accurately reproduces numerical and experimental results, and explains the scaling laws that underly this new failure mode. Predictions for rupture speed compare well with experiment.