Assoc. Prof.

Dr Nadras Othman
srnadras@usm.my

EBP 420/2-Rubber Engineering

Students Activity 1
Brainstorm
What is rubber
engineering??

EBP 420/2-Rubber Engineering

Course
-Synopsis
The main focus of this course covers an application of
mathematics in rubber elasticity including classical, statistical,
and phenomenological theories.

It also covers an effects of reinforcement on young, shear, and

bulk elasticity moduli and concept and behaviour of forcedeformation
including
compression,
shear,
combined
compression and shear, torque, bending and buckling.

The course also covers the effects of structure and lamination;

models of inclined rubber mounting and slender column and
application in bridge bearing, dock fender, and others.

It also include dynamic mechanical behaviour with storage

and loss modulus, tan , damping and hysterises, vibrate
isolation and transmissibility.

The course also covers about the strength and mechanical

fatigue of rubbers, tyre as a engineering product which
include wet grip, rolling resistance and application of finite
elements analysis (FEA) in prediction of rubber engineering
products.

EBP 420/2-Rubber Engineering

Contribution of Assessment
Assessment Methods
Test
Quiz
Assignments
Final Examination
TOTAL

%
10
10
20
60
100

Notes:
1. Test will be conducted in week 7 (1 test) AP Dr Azura
2. Quiz in every 3 weeks (4 Quiz) AP Dr Azura
3. Individual short assignment (1) & group assignment (1)
AP Dr Nadras

Course Outcomes (CO)

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
Explain

the fundamentals principles of rubber

engineering and understanding force-deformation
behaviour of rubber
Determine an appreciation of intrinsic properties of
engineering with rubbers focusing on dynamic
mechanical properties and fracture mechanics
behaviour.
Differentiate and explain the basic principles of rubber
engineering products (shear and compression bearings,
vibrations and noise control, Raykin fenders, antivibrations mounting and vibration isolations).

EBP 420/2-Rubber Engineering

Course Outline
1. Introduction to rubber in engineering

Application of mathematics in rubber elasticity:

Classical theory Thermodynamic of rubber elasticity
Statistical theory
Phenomological theory

2. Dynamic force-deformation properties

Linear viscoelastic behaviour

Non-linear viscoelasticity behaviour
Energy dissipation and heat build up in rubber unit

3. Analysis of the deformation of rubber units under

equilibrium loading conditions

Applications of deformations theories

Shear of rubber blocks
Compression of rubber blocks
Combined compression and shear

EBP 420/2-Rubber Engineering

Course Outline (cont)

Design of components

4.

Shear and compression bearings: Planar sandwich forms,

Laminate bearings, Tube form bearings and mountings and
sample problems
Vibrations and noise control: Vibrations background and
information, Design requirements and Sample problems

Piers and Fenders

5.

Raykin fenders
Principle requirements
British engineering requirements

Introduction to rubber in dynamic applications

6.

Visco-elastic properties of rubber : Creep, Stress relaxation,

Model Maxwell and Voigt and Boltzman superposition principle
Dynamic/static ratio

EBP 420/2-Rubber Engineering

Course Outline (cont)

7.

8.

9.

Dynamic mechanical properties

Dynamic behaviour : Dynamic stiffness (storage and loss

modulus), Loss angle (tan ), damping and hysteresis
Temperature and frequency dependence
Application of dynamic mechanical properties
Transmissibility, Isolation of mechanical vibrations, Antivibration mounting and Factors for ideal /effective antivibration mounting

Strength of rubbers

Fracture mechanics : The tearing energy concept and

Measurements of tearing energy
Crack growth behaviour

Mechanical fatigue

Application of fracture mechanics to mechanical fatigue of

rubber
Initiation and propagations of cracks

EBP 420/2-Rubber Engineering

Course Outline (cont)

10. Tire Rubber

Functions of tire
Main rubber parts of tire and their required properties

11. Friction and skid resistance of rubber

Generating mechanisms of skid resistance of tire

Frictional forces between thread rubber and road.

12. FEA applications in rubber engineering

Introduction to FEA
Used of FEA in predicted rubber engineering products

EBP 420/2-Rubber Engineering

References
1.

Engineering with Rubber: How to design rubber components,

Alan Gent (edited), Second edition, Hanser Publishers, 2000

2.

Rubber Products Manufacturing Technology, Anil K.Bhowmick,

Malcolm M.Hall and Henry A.Benarey, Marcel Dekker, Inc, 1994

3.

Engineering design with Natural Rubber, P.B.Lindley, Fifth Edition,

The Malaysian Rubber Producers Research Association, 1992.

4.

Theory and practice of engineering with rubber, P.K.Freakley and

A.R.Payne, Applied Science Publisher LTD, 1988

5.

Rubber technology and manufacture , C.M. Blow and C.Hepburn, 2

nd ed, butterworth, 2000

6.

Rubber Technology handbook , Hofman.W, Hanser 2000

7.

Polymer synthesis: theory and practice: fundamentals, method,

experiments, Braun, Dietrich, 4rd ed. Berlin Springer, 2003

Rubber in Engineering??

How to understand rubber

engineering?

Materials properties
Elastic moduli
E (Young Modulus)
G (Shear Modulus)
B (Bulk Modulus)

Understands & Predicting

deformation behaviour

the

Design and fitting

Environmental factor or conditions

load

Natural rubber as a spring material

Excellent resistance to fatigue, cut

growth and tearing
High resilience
Low heat build up
Very efficient bonding to both metals
and other reinforcing materials
Low cost and ease of manufacture
A wider range of operating temperatures
than most other rubber

Metal springs vs NR springs

require no maintenance

have a high energy storage capacity

can easily be designed to give different

stiffness in different directions, or nonlinear load-deflection characteristics
can accommodate a certain amount of
misalignment and are easier to install

Earth quake rubber

bearing

Example of
Rubber engineering products

Tyres
Seals
Engine Mount
Bridge bearing
Earthquakes bearing
Vibration Isolators
Dock fenders
Gasket

Definition of rubber
A unique group of materials which may be

identified by their ability, under certain

conditions to undergo large deformations and
recover almost completely and instantaneously
on release of the deforming force.

The property of high elasticity derives from a

particular kind of molecular structure

Requirements for material to be

an elastomer or rubber
1.

The molecules must be very long and be able to

rotate freely about the joining neighbouring
molecular units

2.

The molecules must be joined at a number of sites to

form a three dimensional network, either by chemical
bonds or mechanical entanglements (crosslink)

3.

Apart from this crosslinks the molecules must be able

to move readily past one another intermolecular
attractions ( secondary or van der Walls force) must
be small

The property of rubber elasticity may be explained quantitatively

by reference to the first law of thermodynamics.

Polymer exhibits rubbery behaviour

If large elastic deformations results from

quite small stresses. This happens if:

It is above its glass transition temperature
It is in an amorphous rather than crystalline state
The molecules are linked together in a few places

to form a continuous network which prevents the

polymer behaving like viscous fluid achieved
effectively with chemical crosslinking.

Stiffness Modulus

General stress-strain concept.

3 common models of deformation of

rubber vulcanisates :
1. Tension
2. Compression
3. Shear

3 common models of deformation

Rubber like elasticity at small strains

In order to formulate an analytical

approach elastomer can be considered
to be
1. Elastic
2. Isotropic

in their underformed
properties at direction is the same)

state

(the

Therefore can be described by just two

fundamental elastic constant:
1. Bulk Modulus, B
2. Shear Modulus, G

1. Bulk modulus B

ratio of the applied pressure to the volumetric

strain
Deals with the materials resistance to
compression under a hydrostatic pressure

Hydrostati c pressure

changes in volume of original volume

P
V Vo
Vo

2. Shear Modulus G,

Ratio of the applied shear stress required to

produce shear strain G

 Other commonly encountered small

strain elastic constants

Tensile Modulus, E
Poisons ratio, v

** related to the bulk and shear modulus

E
B
31 2v

E
G
21 v

 Elastomer

are
unique
engineering materials as

class

of

both shear G and tensile Moduli E are very

low (in region of 0.5-10 MPa)

while Bulk modulus is very large (1.5-2.0 GPa)
Value of Poisons ratio is close 0.5

Tensile Modulus E is almost exactly equal

to 3G

In most engineering
applications
elastomers can be considered as being incompressible.
the elastic behaviour at small strain can be described

by just a single elastic constant G.

The significantly larger modulus is a major asset when

designing elastomeric component because of if a

given volume of the elastomer is constraint in shape,
the part can be made to have high compression
stiffness with a low shear stiffness.

This

phenomenon is exploited in the design of

vibration isolation compression mounts earthquake
bearing
or
mounting
systems
in
automotive
applications.

Students Activity 2
Focused listing

In 2 3 minutes in pair list as

many as they can about any
concept/issue/principle/formula
that has been learned today