THE MULLINS EFFECT IN UNIAXIAL EXTENSION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE TRANSVERSE VIBRATION OF A RUBBER STRING

This paper presents a study of the stress softening effect encountered in uniaxial extension and explores its effect on the small amplitude transverse vibration of a stretched rubber cord. An idealization of the uniaxial stress-strain behavior of a stress softening material is presented, the importance of the deformation history is emphasized, and parameters are introduced to track the deformation history. An extended investigation of a model proposed by Mullins and Tobin to quantify stress softening by introduction of a strain amplification factor is then presented. A major result derived from this model is shown to be consistent with results reported by others. The uniaxial stress softening theory is used to describe the transverse vibration behavior of a rubber string subjected to repeated stretching. This appears to be the first application of the softening model of Mullins and Tobin to a dynamical problem. Analytical results are compared with uniaxial stress-strain and transverse vibration experiments performed with buna-n, neoprene, and silicone rubber cords. Both types of experiments provide a simple and novel method to evaluate the predictive success of our uniaxial theory without the need for a specific constitutive model. The pseudoelastic response found in biological tissues is discussed in light of results obtained in the transverse vibration experiments.