Influence of Confining Pressure on the Crack Growth Behavior in a Highly Filled Elastomer

In this study, the effect of confining pressure on the crack growth behavior in a highly filled elastomer was investigated. The material under investigation contains 86% by weight of hard particles embedded in a rubbery matrix. The specimens were tested at a constant strain rate under a confining pressure. Two confining pressures, 3.45 MPa and 6.9 MPa, and two types of loading, monotonically increasing and cyclic, were considered. The experimental data were analyzed, and the effects of confining pressure on the damage process as well as the constitutive and crack growth behavior in the material are discussed.