Coupled thermal and volume change measurements during stretching of filled EPDM rubbers

Abstract : Ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer rubber (EPDM) has been widely studied in the recent years. Thanks to its high resistance to ageing and mechanical properties, it is one of the best candidates for the automotive industry. For a better understanding of its mechanical properties, a suitable characterization of its thermomechanical behavior is mandatory. For this purpose, the combination of infrared thermography and strain field measurement is commonly used in literature [1]. Over the last decade, image correlation approach has been widely improved. It now allows precisely estimating the volume change during the deformation [2]. However, to the authors’ knowledge, no study was already devoted to the combined analysis of both thermal and volume change. This approach should be useful to identify the respective contributions of the reversible and irreversible mechanisms associated with the deformation of elastomers.