Prediction of energy release rate in crack opening mode (mode I) for filled and unfilled elastomers using the Ogden model

A stretch intensity factor for filled and unfilled elastomers is introduced for different mixtures. This stretch intensity factor allows for prediction of the analytically evaluated energy release rate for a cracked sample under uniaxial tension. Considering the opening mode from fracture mechanics (mode I) was investigated. The continuum mechanical derivations are based on non-linear hyperelastic material behaviour, where the energy release rate is evaluated through a closed path integral very near to the crack tip. Here, the integrand includes asymptotic solution for strain, stress and energy density using the Ogden model. The decisive advantage of this method is to predict well the critical tearing energy values by the crack growth using the analytical energy release rate term. In this work the Mullins effect is not considered, since the cracked samples are tested without any preconditioning.