The Use of Fatigue Crack Propagation Testing in Rubber Compound Development

A major cause of failure in elastomeric products under dynamic service conditions is the development and growth of cracks resulting from mechanical deformation. Fracture mechanics can be used to characterize the rate at which strain energy is released as a crack grows. The strain energy release rate is termed “tearing energy” and it can be used to characterize different materials intended for use in dynamic applications in the rubber industry. This paper investigates the use of the Fatigue Crack Propagation (FCP) test for comparing the crack growth behavior of different rubber compounds and demonstrates that the FCP test can be used effectively in the development of new compounds intended for use in dynamic applications.