Establishing Failure Criterion for Elastomers through Improved Biaxial Testing

Testing elastomeric materials that undergo large strains pose challenges especially when establishing failure criteria. The failure criterion for composites and polymers based on finite elasticity published by Feng (1) requires testing under uniaxial and biaxial stretching modes. The classic inflation of a circular disk for biaxial stretch mode poses stability and safety challenges. The test can also be sensitive to end constraints resulting in failure of materials at the constraints. Biaxial stretching with a hemispherical punch is explored in this work. The biaxial stretching allows controlled and repeatable testing. It establishes a clear and reliable failure mechanism of the material at the poles. Through a combination of testing and numerical methods, the stretch ratios and its relation to failure have been established. The method greatly simplifies testing and provides reliable data for a failure criterion for elastomers in numerical modeling.