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An hyper-visco-hysteretic model for elastomeric behaviour under low and

high temperatures: Experimental and numerical investigations

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An hyper-visco-hysteretic model for elastomeric behaviour under low and
high temperatures: experimental and numerical investigations

H. Laurent, A. Vandenbroucke, S. Couëdo & G. Rio

Laboratoire Génie Mécanique et Matériaux, Université de Bretagne-Sud, Lorient, France
N. Aı̈t Hocine
Laboratoire de Rhéologie, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to investigate the thermo-mechanical behaviour of rubbers between
−40◦ C and 100◦ C. Several experimental tests (tension and compression cyclic loadings and relaxation) have
been performed to examine the temperature influence on the rubber behaviour. An original phenomenologi-
cal model, named hyper-visco-hysteresis, is also presented. This model, implemented in a laboratory code, is
based on additive decomposition of stress contributions. Material constants have been deduced from experi-
mental data and the constitutive model seems to be adequateness to describe the stress-strain evolution of the
studied elastomer under various mechanical loadings at different temperatures.

1 INTRODUCTION ternal variables used in this development are related to

Nowadays, elastomers are frequently used in many in-
dustrial sectors such as automobile and aeronautic ap-
plications. These materials are generally subjected to
severe cyclic thermal loadings as soon as to chem-
ical attacks and mechanical solicitations that cause
their degradations resulting in the alteration of their
performances and, so, in their premature failure. Al-
though this kind of material is largely investigated
in the literature, only few publications deal with its
thermo-mechanical behaviour (Treloar 1975; Chad-
wick 1973).
It is well known that the isothermal mechanical
behaviour is mainly influenced by non-linear elas-
ticity in combination with non-linear rate depen-
dence and weak equilibrium hysteresis (Lion 1996;
Lion 1997). After a large experimental investigations,
(Lion 1997) showed that the rate sensitivity of the ma-
terial strongly depends on the temperature : at low
temperature levels, the rate sensitivity is essentially
higher than at high temperatures. The elastic prop-
erties of the material depend comparatively less on
the temperature than other material characteristics.
Nevertheless, higher temperature levels lead to higher
equilibrium stresses. This author presented a theoreti-
cal framework on a fully coupled thermo-mechanical
behaviour in finite strains. He proposed a model with
a multiplicative split of the deformation gradient into
a viscoelastic mechanical and a thermal part. The in-
the inelastic deformation tensor. This model seems to
be very interesting but it exists some divergence be-
tween the experimental and the predicted numerical
results.
For his part, (Shaw et al. 2005) studied the con-
stitutive response of elastomers at temperatures in
the chemorheological range (90 − 150◦ C) for natu-
ral rubber. These authors showed that natural rub-
ber specimens exhibits finite elasticity, entropic stiff-
ening with temperature, viscoelasticity, scission, and
oxygen diffusion/reaction effects. Their numerical ap-
proach is based on a ”multi-network” framework for
finite elasticity, isothermal incompressibility, thermal
expansion, and temperature-induced degradation.
In this paper, we present an experimental investi-
gation on the temperature influence on a Viton rub-
ber under various mechanical loading conditions. An
original constitutive law taking into account the tem-
perature effects on the global rubber behaviour, is also
described. Results issued from Finite Element (FE)
calculations using this model are compared to the ex-
perimental data.
2 EXPERIMENTAL
2.1 Material
Experiments were carried out using a Viton (Fluoro
rubber) which is a synthetic elastomer. Its glass transi-
tion temperature is about Tg = −19◦ C. Such material

1
 (a)
shows substantially non-linear visco-elasticity and
4
displays large deformations under small stresses. All
3
tests were performed at constant temperature under
2
strain control using an Instron tensile testing machine

Nominal Sress (MPa)

1
with temperature-controlled chamber. The tests were
0
carried out at a strain rate of 3.3 × 10−3 s−1 corre-
sponding to a constant crosshead speed of 5mm/min. −1
In compression, the specimens were cylindrical. In −2 100°C
23°C
tension, we used classical tension specimens, the lo- −3 0°C
−4 −8°C
cal deformation measure were performed by camera
video with optical method. −5
−6
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
2.2 Traction/compression cyclic loading Stretch
(b)
40
1.5
23°C
20
1

Nominal Sress (MPa)

0
Nominal Sress (MPa)

0.5
−15°C
−20 −20°C
0 −25°C
−30°C
−40 −35°C
−0.5

−1 −60

−1.5
−2
0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1
Stretch
Figure 1: Stress-stretch response during five cycles
of tension and compression loading at room tempera-
ture.
At room temperature, rubber like materials show
a visco-hyperelastic behaviour. The viscosity is illus-
trated by the hysteresis represented by a part of the
area exhibited between loading and unloading stress-
strain curves (Figure 1). The cyclic loading tests con-
sisted to load and unload a specimen successively five
times up to 30% in compression and up to 50% in ten-
sion.
2.3 Influence of temperature
The dependence of the mechanical material proper-
ties on the temperature has been investigated. We
achieved a set of uniaxial experiments consisting on
submitting a specimen to a cycle loading and unload-
ing both in compression and tension at various pre-
scribed temperatures (Figure 2). The temperature lev-
els above 23◦ C were generated by electrical heating
and the lower temperature levels by using saturated
nitrogen steam.
In order to check the homogeneity of the temper-
ature distribution, a specimen tested was equipped
with a thermocouple in a hole drilled in its centre
and the mechanical loading was applied one hour af-
ter switching on the heating chamber.
−80
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Stretch
1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5
Figure 2: Uniaxial tension and compression experi-
ments during first cycle in function of temperature:
(a) between 100◦ C and 0◦ C, (b) between −15◦ C and
−35◦ C.
From room temperature up to 100◦ C, the stud-
ied rubber presents a visco-hyperelastic-hysteretic be-
haviour which seems to be not sensitive to the temper-
ature variations (Figure2.(a)).
Figure 2.(b) shows that the material response is
non-linearly dependent on temperature. The glass
transition temperature Tg (near −19◦ C) represents
an evident threshold between a visco-elastic and an
elasto-visco-plastic behaviours. The glassy state is ac-
companied by the complete loss of rubber elastic-
ity. Bellow Tg , the no viscous anelastic behaviour is
revealed by a remaining deformation after unload-
ing. This ”plasticity” phenomenon increases at the ex-
pense of elasticity when the temperature decreases.
2.4 Relaxation test in function of temperature
To examine the temperature influence on the material
relaxation, stress relaxation tests at different temper-
atures were performed with a specific experimental
set-up. These tests also allowed the characterisation
of the material viscosity. A specimen was compressed
up to 30% of deformation between grips of a precision
vice equipped with load cell of 5kN (Figure 3). This
experimental set-up was introduced in a temperature-

2
controlled chamber (Figure 4) where it was kept dur- 500 60

ing 1.5 days and where it was submitted to temper- 450 Force
Evolution of temperature 40
ature variations in range of −30◦ C and 50◦ C as in-
400
dicated by Figure 5. This graph also shows the cor-
20

Temperature (°C)
responding evolution of the force as function of the 350

Force (N)
time. It exhibits a no-negligible loss in the force re-
300 0
sulted from the applied deformation at the end of the
test. This phenomenon can be at the origin of environ- 250
−20
mental or security disasters for example in the case of 200
a rubber seal used in high-pressure hydraulic system. −40
150
specimen load cell 100 −60
0 200000 400000 600000 800000 1e+06 1.2e+06
Time (seconds)

Figure 5: Evolution of force during the relaxation test

in function of temperature.

contributions instead of strain ones. Moreover, it has

been successfully used to model behaviours of fer-
roelectrical and ferromagnetical materials (Tourabi
et al. 1995), shape memory alloys (Manach et al.
1996; Rio et al. 1995) and the PA66 solid polymer
(Blès et al. 2002).
vice In this study, the behaviour of the studied material
are taken into account according to the rheological
Figure 3: Experimental set-up used in relaxation tests scheme reported in Figure 6. This scheme contains
three parallel branches representing hyperelastic, vis-
coelastic and hysteretic contributions. The stress and
the strain tensors of these contributions are noted as
follows ; hyperelastic law: σ e εe ; viscoelastic law:
σ v εv and hysteretic law : σ h εh .

E1 η1

η2
E2
σ viscosity σ v

Figure 4: Temperature-controlled chamber.

hyperelastic σ e

3 HYPER-VISCO-HYSTERESIS BEHAVIOUR hysteresis σ h

MODEL
The theory of elasto-visco-plasticity is often adopted
to describe mechanical behaviours exhibiting rate-
dependence and plasticity phenomenon. This theory
considers a total deformation as sum of elasticity, vis-
cosity and plasticity contributions. In this study, to
simulate the behaviour of the viton rubber, an hyper-
visco-hysteretic model already developed in our labo-
ratory, is used. Contrary to the classical elasto-visco-
plastic model, it assumes a superposition of stress
ε
Figure 6: The rheological model used :two Maxwell’s
contributions, hyperelastic contribution (Mooney-
Rivlin) and hysteresis contribution.
According to Guélin (Guélin 1980), the Cauchy
stress tensor σ is expressed from the combination of

3
these contributions, written in parallel:
σ = σe + σv + σh ε = ε e = ε v = εh (1)
In this decomposition, the first hyper-viscous con-
tribution behaviours, decribed after, are classical but,
in this paper, we introduce the hysteresis contribution
which represents an original work.
To consider the rate-sensitive material behaviour,
viscosity behaviour σ v is formulated with two
Maxwell’s models in parallel : two springs (carac-
terised by Young Modulus E1 and E2 ) and two dash-
pots in parallel (with η1 and η2 their viscosity) (Figure
6).
For the hyperelastic contribution σ e , we use clas-
sical Mooney-Rivlin hyperelastic potential. But an al-
ternative definition is introduced in the isotropic part
under the form :
ρ0 ψm (B) =C10 .(I¯1 − 3) + C01 .(I¯2 − 3)
(2)
µ ¶
1 + lnJ
+ K. 1 −
J
where ρ0 is the relative density to zero stress ; ψm is
the Helmholtz free energy by mass unity ; the material
constants are C10 , C01 ; K is the bulk modulus and J,
I¯1 and I¯2 are the strain invariants defined as follows:
√ 1 h
2
i perature
J = det B ; I¯1 = T rB2 ; I¯2 = . I¯1 − T r(B2.B2) dependent.
2
(3)
where B2 = J −2/3
B is the isovolume part of strain
tensor B. The invariant J is the total volume change
Vt
. developed in our laboratory.
V0
For the hysteresis behaviour, rheological models
containing elastic and slip elements are considered
to be derived from a general pure hysteresis model
(Guélin 1980). The material is assumed to be isotropic
and the hysteresis contribution, denoted by S, is only
deviatoric. The hysteresis model, adapted to cyclic
loading condition, is composed of an incremental
behaviour law (constitutive law) and an inversion
management algorithm and crossing point during the
cyclic evolution path. The constitutive relation is ob-
tained by time integration of relation:
. The
S = 2µh D̄ + β φ(S, D̄) ∆tr S (4)
In this relation:
• D̄ denotes the deviatoric strain rate tensor,
• ∆tr S describes evolution of deviatoric stress be-
tween a reference state situation r and current
time t. At the begining of the loading, the ref-
erence state is the initial state. For other paths,
4
the reference point is the previous inversion state
as long as any crossing point is not detected.
−2µh
• β = 0 Q )np (Q 2−np
where Q∆σ =
(ω 0 ∆σ )
tr(∆tr S : ∆tr S) is relative to the intensity of
p
t
∆r S,
• φ = Q∆σ .Q0 represents the non-reversible intrin-
sic dissipated rate,
• the parameter ω 0 denotes the Masing similarity
function. For our experimental tests, we have ra-
dial loading path and ω 0 is equal to 2 (in other
cases, see (Favier 1988)).
• the material parameters are coefficient µh which
represents the initial slope, the yield hysteresis
limit in shear Q0 and the Prager’s parameter np.
The management of the inversion point and cross-
ing point is carried out using the intrinsic dissipation
rate function defined previously. This value is related
to a volume element and must always be positive;
thus, the state at time t is an inversion point when the
function φ becomes negative.
This constitutive model is compatible with the dis-
sipation principle of thermodynamics (Blès 2002).
C01 , C10 , K and Q0 are supposed not function of tem-
but all other material parameters are thermo-
The elasto-visco-hysteretic model has been
implemented in Finite Element software named
HEREZH++(http://www-lg2m.univ-ubs.fr/rio 2005),
The combination of all experimental data presented
before in paragraph 2, allowed us an identification of
material constants introduced in this model.
4 IDENTIFICATION OF BEHAVIOUR MODEL -
RESULTS
The material constants introduced in the hyperelasto-
visco-hysteretic model were identified by a least-
square minimisation method. We used the optimisa-
tion parameter software SiDoLo (Foerch et al. 1997)
in link with the finite element software HEREZH++.
identification was carried out on only one hex-
ahedral finite element using experimental data in-
cluding relaxation and loading-unloading tension-
compression tests.
At room temperature, the identified parameters lead
to numerical results which are compared with exper-
imental data in Figures 7 and 8. A good agreement
is observed in the case of traction/compression load-
ing as it can be seen in Figure 7 that shows evolu-
tion of stresses versus stretches. However, Figure 8
 1.5 15
10
1.0
5
Nominal Sress (MPa)

Nominal Sress (MPa)

0.5
0
0.0 −5

−0.5 −10 Experimental data 0°C

Model prediction 0°C
−15 Experimental data −15°C
−1.0 Experimental data Model prediction −15°C
Model prediction −20
−1.5
−25
−2.0 −30
0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Stretch Stretch
Figure 7: Comparison between experimental data and Figure 9: Comparison between experimental data and
identification at room temperature in tension and identification at 0◦ C and −15◦ C in tension and com-
compression. pression.
0.0
Experimental data
−0.2 Model prediction
◦
C Hysteresis parameters
np µh (M P a)
−0.4
23 1.2 0.8 × 10−3
Nominal Sress (MPa)

−0.6 0 0.016 0.28

−0.8 −15 0.016 98.4
−1.0 Maxwell’s parameters
−1.2
E1 ν1 E2 ν2
(M P a) (M P a.s−1 ) (M P a) (M P a.s−1 )
−1.4
23 5.1 7.8 0.9 48.2
−1.6 0 198.5 34.6 2.3 466.2
−1.8 −15 247. 283. 638.3 689.6
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
time (seconds) Table 1: Parameters identification in tension-
Figure 8: Comparison between experimental data and compression-relaxation at room temperature and
identification at room temperature in relaxation. in tension-compression for other temperatures at
strain rate of 3.3 × 10−3 s−1 with fixed parameters :
Q0 = 540 M P a, C10 = 0.03 M P a, C01 = 0.48 M P a,
highlights a slight divergence between model predic-
K = 9000 M P a.
tion and experimental data corresponding to tests con-
sisted in compressing a specimen to 10%, 20% and and summarised in Table 1, we achieved FE simula-
30%, of deformation followed by relaxation during tions of traction/compression tests at strain rate equal
900 seconds. to 3.3 × 10−2 s−1 and of relaxation test at fixed strain
At low temperature, it appears necessary to iden- of 18%. The results obtained are in quite good agree-
tify new constitutive law parameters in order to well ment with experimental data as it is clearly shown by
describe temperature-dependent material behaviour. Figures 11 and 10.
In this case, at 0◦ C and −15◦ C, the FE evolu-
tion of nominal stresses as function of stretches are 5 CONCLUSIONS
compared to experimental results dealing with trac- In this paper, we investigated the mechanical be-
tion/compression loadings (Figure 9). As it can be haviour of a Viton rubber at different temperatures.
seen, at 0◦ C, experimental points are well fitted by We showed an evident threshold, defined by the tem-
numerical curve. However, at −15◦ C, clear diver- perature glass transition, between glassy and rubbery
gence is highlighted and, so, improvement is needed states. The second main results of this work is the
in the identification process of material constants. Us- verification of the hyper-visco-hysteresis model per-
ing experimental relaxation data at low temperature in tinence to well describe the thermo-mechanical be-
such identification could certainly bring amelioration haviour of elastomers. This model employs a stress
of the model predictions. additive decomposition of viscosity, hyperelasticity
Finally, we examine the imposed strain level and and hysteresis contributions. It has been used to nu-
strain rate influences on numerical predictions. Thus, merically simulate thermo-mechanical behaviour of
with material constants defined at room temperature the studied rubber at different temperature and a rela-

5
 2.5 in the case of shear cyclic loading. Archives of Me-
Experimental data
2 Numerical simulation chanics 54(2), 155174.
1.5
Chadwick, P. 1973. Thermo-mechanics of rubberlike
Nominal Sress (MPa)

1 materials. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. London Ser. 276(A

0.5 1260), 371–40.
0
Favier, D. 1988. Contribution l’étude théorique de
−0.5
l’élastohystérésis température variable: applica-
−1 tion aux propriétés de mémoire de forme. Thèse de
−1.5 doctorat d’état, Université Joseph Fourier & Institut
−2 National Polytechnique de Grenoble.
−2.5 Foerch, R., J. Besson, G. Cailletaud, & P. Pilvin 1997.
−3 Polymorphic constitutive equations in finite ele-
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Stretch ment codes. Computer Methods in Applied Mechan-
ics and Engineering 141(3-4), 355–372.
Figure 10: Comparison between experimental data
and numerical results at room temperature in tension Guélin, P. 1980. Remarques sur l’hystérésis
and compression for strain rate of 3.3 × 10−2 s−1 . mécanique. Journal de Mécanique Théorique
et Appliquée 19(2), 217–245.
0 http://www-lg2m.univ-ubs.fr/rio 2005. Herezh++
Experimental data (certificationIDDN-FR-010-0106078-000-R-P-
−0.1 Numerical simulation
2006-035-20600 ed.). http://www-lg2m.univ-
−0.2
ubs.fr/rio.
Nominal Sress (MPa)

−0.3
Lion, A. 1996. A physically based method to rep-
−0.4 resent the thermo-mechanical behaviour of elas-
−0.5 tomers. Acta Mechanica 123, 1–25.
−0.6 Lion, A. 1997. On the large deformation behaviour of
−0.7 reinforced rubber at different temperatures. Journal
−0.8 of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 45(11-12),
−0.9
1805–1834.
−1 Manach, P. Y., D. Favier, & G. Rio 1996. Finite ele-
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 ment simulations of internal stresses generated dur-
time (seconds) ing the pseudoelastic deformation of niti bodies. J.
Figure 11: Comparison between experimental data de Physique C1(6), 244–253.
and numerical results at room temperature in relax- Rio, G., P. Y. Manach, & D. Favier 1995. Finite el-
ation at 18%. ement simulation of 3D mechanical behaviour of
NiTi shape memory alloys. Archives of Mechan-
tive good agreement has been obtained between ex- ics 47(3), 537–556.
perimental and numerical results. However, further Shaw, J. A., A. S. Jones, & A. S. Wineman 2005.
analyses are necessary to adapt this model to more Chemorheological response of elastomers at ele-
complex thermal and mechanical loadings. This work vated temperatures: Experiments and simulations.
is a first step up to a complete representation of the Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 53,
complicated thermo mechanical behaviour of elas- 2758–2793.
tomers. Tourabi, A., P. Guélin, & D. Favier 1995. Towards
modelling of deformable ferromagnets and ferro-
6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS electrics. Archives of Mechanics 47(3), 437–483.
The authors are grateful for the support and the finan- Treloar, L. 1975. The physics of Rubber elasticity.
cial participation of Brittany region. Clarendon Press.

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6
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