Rubber computational mechanics

The chapter by PoldnefF and Heinstein ( Computational Mechanics of Rubber and Tires ) reviews the latest achievements in using finite element analysis for solving highly nonlinear problems of rubber and tire mechanics, with several illustrative examples of industrial importance. 

Rubacams is a computer aided materials selection routine for elastomeric materials. Covering 99 generic types of rubber, each material is cross referenced with over 190 chemical agents and materials property data including physical, chemical mechanical and process related properties. Search results... 

It is interesting to consider hardness as an example of how mechanical tests for rubber have, or have not developed. Firstly, despite the very imprecise relationship with modulus and the lack of any fundamental significance, hardness measurements have continued to be used and even now new ones are being introduced. The far more sensible method of measuring force to produce a given deformation, which would also allow stress relaxation to be conveniently measured, has not been adopted. However, the instrumentation has been updated so that the old measure can be made with electrical transducers and fed directly to a computer. On the other hand, perhaps the fact that hardness is a non-destructive method that can be applied to virtually any product is justification that it should thrive. 

Flame-retardant polystyrene is used primarily in expanded foam for building insulation. Rubber-modified styrenic polymers are flame retarded for use in a number of applications, such as enclosures for electronics and business equipment. By far the largest volume flame-retardant HIPS application is television enclosures (Figure 29.1) these are made primarily from flame-retardant HIPS [3]. Flame-retardant HIPS has an attractive balance of mechanical properties, processability and cost. Flame-retardant styrenic blends such as HIPS-PPO and PC-ABS also find utility in a number of electrical applications such as printers, computers and monitors. These blends have received increasing attention recently because of their ability to be flame retarded with nonhalogen flame retardants (see Section 7). 

Sealing in an automobile is most vital and a chemist s skills are quite useful. Just as vital however, is the isolation and vibration dampening application of rubbers thus, some discussion time should be devoted to this subject. Most mechanical engineers and computer analysts do not have a working knowledge of rubbers and therefore cannot make the material choices or computer predictions that the chemist can. 

Chemistry physics chemical engineering materials science organic chemistry inorganic chemistry physical chemistry analytical chemistry differential equations computer science structures and reactions of macromolecular compounds kinetics and mechanisms of polymer synthesis plastics engineering synthetic rubber engineering biopolymers molecular biology biochemistry biophysics. 

A mechanical method which enables the computation of a modulus-related constant which, according to the theory of rubber elasticity discussed in Chapter 3, may in turn be related to Me. 

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