Identification of constitutive model for rubber elasticity from micro-indentation tests on natural rubber and validation by macroscopic tests

Micro-hardness testing is widely used to measure the materials local response and is very valuable to describe gradients of physical properties. For polymers, the most common use is to measure a scalar value (hardness or modulus), which gives access to useful qualitative information but can clearly not be used to identify local constitutive models, strongly needed to achieve the numerical simulation of heterogeneous massive parts. In this study, load/displacement curves obtained at a micro-scale are used to identify the parameters of an Edwards–Vilgis hyperelastic model. The protocol proposed is coupling FE simulations achieved with Abaqus and optimization procedures using the dedicated software Boss Quattro. In order to limit the microstructure and viscous effects, the material studied is an unfilled natural rubber which exhibits a behavior very close to perfect hyperelasticity. Several numerical parameters (indent geometry, friction, thickness, …) as well as experimental protocols were tested in order to check the protocol reliability. The identified parameters are used to simulate macroscopic tests (tensile, compression and pure shear tests). The agreement with experimental data is very good, which is rarely found in the literature and which validates several numerical assumptions.

► We used micro-indentation tests to identify constitutive parameters for an unfilled rubber. ► Experimental protocol, numerical implementation and numerical tools are detailed and validated. ► The identified parameters are used to simulate macroscopic tests. ► The agreement is very good, validating the scale change in identifying the constitutive parameters.