Size-dependent fracture in elastomers: experiments and continuum modeling

Abstract: Elastomeric materials display a complicated set of stretchability and fracture properties that strongly depend on the flaw size, which has long been of interest to engineers and materials scientists. Here, we combine experiments and numerical simulations for a comprehensive understanding of the nonlocal, size-dependent features of fracture in elastomers. We show the size-dependent fracture behavior is quantitatively described through a nonlocal continuum model. The key ingredient of the nonlocal model is the use of an intrinsic length scale associated with a finite fracture process zone, which is inferred from experiments. Of particular importance, our experimental and theoretical approach passes the critical set of capturing key aspects of the size-dependent fracture in elastomers. Applications to a wide range of synthetic elastomers that exhibit moderate (~100%) to extreme stretchability (~1000%) are presented, which is also used to demonstrate the applicability of our approach in elastomeric specimens with complex geometries.