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Damage in elastomers: healing of internally nucleated cavities and micro-cracks
Xavier Poulain1, Oscar Lopez-Pamies, K Ravi-Chandar
1Center for Mechanics of Solids, Structures, and Materials Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, University of Texas at Austin, TX 78712-1221, USA. ravi@utexas.edu.
Abstract:
Following on the work of Poulain et al. (Damage in elastomers: Nucleation and growth of cavities, micro-cracks, and macro-cracks, Int. J. Fract., 2017, 205, 1-21), this paper presents an investigation of the response of cavities/cracks internally nucleated within a transparent PDMS elastomer that is confined between two firmly embedded stiff beads and subjected to quasistatic cyclic loading-unloading. Specifically, it is observed that cracks that nucleate and propagate to reach tens of microns in length during the loading can heal completely upon unloading. They do so autonomously within a time scale of seconds. Furthermore, the regions of the elastomer that experience healing appear to acquire higher strength or toughness.
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