Thermal recovery of the Mullins effect in filled rubbers: Experiments and modeling

Filled rubbers are a ubiquitous class of engineering materials with many attractive engineering properties. They experience a phenomenon known as the Mullins effect, characterized by a loss in strength and stiffness after an initial deformation. However, this strength and stiffness can be recovered, in a process which is generally thermally activated, and typically known as Mullins recovery. Few models exist to account for the Mullins effect after recovery with most focusing on experimental aspects in a limited range of conditions. This work focuses on creating a comprehensive experimental data set and a continuum model to describe both Mullins effect and thermally activated Mullins recovery. The model is calibrated to the data, and implemented as a user material subroutine in a finite element package to show its application. • We experimentally determined the effect of time and temperature on Mullins recovery. • We created and calibrated a constitutive model to capture thermal Mullins recovery. • The novel contribution is the evolution of internal variables with temperature. • Application was demonstrated using a 3D simulation of a vibration isolator.