Self-heating in rubber components: experimental studies and numerical analysis

The temperature change in rubber components during operation results in a change in its transfer function and affects service life. In this study, the phenomenon of self-heating and its effect on the resulting forces is examined experimentally under different loading conditions using a test rig that applies a rotating shear load. The observed phenomenon from the tests was modelled using a finite viscoelastic model based on the multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient. The simulation results of the surface temperature and the resulting forces using the implemented material model showed good agreement with experimental results. The test rig and the simulation model can be used to characterise rubber materials and therefore, allow the prediction of the temperature distribution and the transfer function of rubber components under operational conditions.