Fatigue, Heat Build-up and DMA Test Technology for Elastomers

The mechanical testing of rubber and other elastomers has traditionally been limited to low force levels or by the speed and durability of the test systems. A novel and revolutionary line of technology has emerged to resolve traditional challenges and enable higher force, higher speed and more reliable testing. Electrodynamic (electrically driven dynamic) drive technology has now extended the range of testing performance for elastomeric and other materials characterization. This technology represents a step forward in higher force uniaxial thermo-mechanical testing and is capable of performing a range of tests. Three examples of the use of this technologies will be presented and include: 1. Multi-specimen fatigue: samples are simultaneously mounted in a fixture which is then housed within a temperature controlled chamber. User-defined strains are imparted to the material over thousands of cycles at elevated temperatures to determine the rate at which cracks materialize in the samples, which subsequently lead to failure. 2. Heat-buildup or blowout test: a single sample test that is designed to replicate the effects of material overheating in an under-inflated tire. Specimen temperature and deformation are monitored during the test and the test is stopped when a blowout is detected via novel data processing. 3. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) – displacements or force that can be applied to sample geometries such as tensile, bending, shear, compression, but now durably loaded with higher forces, a wide range of frequencies and temperatures. Data analysis yields the material modulus, phase, and glass transition of various elastomers.