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Issues Relating to the Mechanical Property Characterization of Sealant

Published

Author(s)

Christopher C. White, Donald L. Hunston

Abstract

fective characterization of the mechanical properties of sealant requires knowledge of the non-linear complex viscoelastic properties. Additionally, all cured sealants, typically elastomeric materials, exhibit the Mullins effect, which also must be measured and understood. Effective characterization of the mechanical properties is required in developing a dose-damage based methodology for predicting the in-service performance of these materials. The work here characterizes five sealant materials that span the range of properties and formulations found in commercial sealants. Based on these experiments, a few simple rules were formulated which can describe the Mullins effect in these samples. The non-linear viscoeastic properties of the sealant were then examined with stress-relaxation experiments. Although the behavior is rather complex, the time dependence and strain dependence were shown to be relatively independent so time-strain superposition could be used to simplify modeling and characterization. A simple empirical equation was formulated to describe all five samples over a wide range of strains and time scales
Citation
Durability of Building and Construction Sealants and Adhesives, ASTM STP 1453
Volume
1 No. 7

Keywords

durability, elastomer, material properties, Mullins effect, rheology, sealant, stress-strain, viscoelasticity

Citation

White, C. and Hunston, D. (2004), Issues Relating to the Mechanical Property Characterization of Sealant, Durability of Building and Construction Sealants and Adhesives, ASTM STP 1453 (Accessed March 28, 2024)
Created July 1, 2004, Updated June 2, 2021