Abstract
The objective of this study is to develop a new constitutive model, which can precisely reproduce cyclic stress-strain responses of carbon black (CB)-filled SBR vulcanizates under wide ranges of applied strains and strain rates. Dumbbell specimens sampled from the vulcanizates were prepared for uniaxial cyclic tests; then, effects of maximum strain, strain range, strain rate and CB content on the cyclic stress-strain responses were investigated. The comprehensive experimental investigations clarified that the cyclic stress-strain response for pre-strained specimens showed characteristic phenomena (stress softening, and emergences of residual strain and hysteresis loop), and the phenomena were changed with cycles. However, such changed stress-strain response recovered the initial one by relaxation treatment under an unloaded state at room temperature for a specific period; therefore, it was inferred that the characteristic phenomena of the pre-strained specimens were caused by viscoelasticity.
