Experimental Research of Rubber Composites Subjected to Impact Loading

Abstract

This paper investigates rubber composites subjected to impact loading. One of the objectives was to determine the effect of the support system on the impact force value. Another objective was to identify the correlations between the force characteristics of the impact process, i.e., between the impact force and the tensile force. The identified correlations between the impact process characteristics have been subjected to regression analyses, and their outputs were regression models describing the dynamic stress of rubber composites during the testing of their impact resistance. At dynamic loading, the key factor was the support system, which eliminates the force effects of the falling material that damages the rubber composite, in particular a conveyor belt, and may even lead to the loss if its functionality. In real operations, conveyor belts are stressed by the impact of the transported material onto the belt surface at sites where the conveyor is filled or at chutes, and this often results in belt damage. In many cases, such a belt is no longer usable, and significant financial loss is therefore incurred due to the need for replacement of the damaged belt and due to consequent downtimes.