INTENDED primarily to discuss rubber as a load-carrying and structural material, and not for suspensions in particular, this paper points out why it is best to limit the stresses and strains in the rubber structure to definite values when applied in this manner. As an aid to this end, attention is given to latex, raw rubber, and the structure of rubber, theoretical and otherwise.
The limitations for the proper use of rubber are determined by long-time creep or slip in the structure which, in turn, is related directly to the magnitude of stress and distortion in the material, the paper states. Vulcanized rubber is practically incompressible, the author explains, and therefore, when properly confined, it can be loaded safely to terrific pressures just like any fluid. To know how rubber will behave and stand up under various conditions of application is not only a matter of knowing how to compute the stresses set up in the material, but also of knowing something about the fatigue resistance of the various compounds of rubber which might be used, the author concludes.