Adhesion Failure in Bonded Rubber Cylinders Part 1: Internal Penny-Shaped Cracks

Abstract

Abstract Rubber disks bonded between flat parallel metal plates are often used as adhesion test specimens such as ASTMD 429 1999, Method A. However, the mechanics of adhesion failure (debonding) for this geometry have not been fully analyzed previously. Therefore, a study has been conducted of the strain energy release rate (tearing energy) for bonded rubber disks having cracks at the rubber-to-metal bond. In this paper, we consider internal penny-shaped cracks. A future paper will discuss external ring cracks. Finite element analysis was used to determine the tearing energy as a function of crack length for disks of various dimensions (shape factors). The crack configurations considered were an internal penny shaped crack located at the center of either one or both rubber-to-metal bonds. The rubber was assumed to be linearly elastic and nearly incompressible. For any bonded disk held in constant tension, the tearing energy was found to be a non-linear function of crack length. For small cracks, the tearing energy was linearly related to the crack length. As the crack grew, the tearing energy increased until it passed through a maximum value. The peak tearing energy was found to depend on the height of the disk. Finally, for large cracks, the tearing energy decreased as the crack grew. Analytical and empirical models were developed and shown to be in good agreement for both small and large cracks in disks of different dimensions.