Numerical Simulation for Mechanical Behavior of Carbon Black Filled Rubber Composites Based on Cubic Representative Volume Element

Abstract

Based on the connection between macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of carbon black filled rubber composites, Representative Volume Element (RVE) containing one single particle has been proposed, and three dimensional cubic RVE has been established to study and analyze the macroscopic mechanical properties of the carbon black filled rubber composites by the micromechanical finite element method. The research shows that the stiffness of the composite is increased with the increase of the volume fraction of carbon black filler particles. By comparison, it is shown that the results of the predictions on the stress-strain behavior of the rubber composite made with the cubic RVE numerical models containing one spherical particle are in good agreement with the experimental results for seven and fifteen percent carbon black filler content, but there is some discrepancy between them for twenty-five percent carbon black filler content. The results of the predictions on the stress-strain behavior of the rubber composite made with the cubic RVE numerical models containing one cubical particle are higher than the experimental results, and the higher the carbon black filler content, the greater is the discrepancy between them.