Biaxial testing System for high static and dynamic Loading of Elastomers and its Applications

For the investigation of elastomers under near-realistic loading, a new Biaxial Tester was designed and tested. The clamping system of the device was particularly optimized for biaxial testing of rubber materials with high elongations. Measurements under different loading conditions enable a more reliable estimation of the parameters of the material models. Modified specimen geometry is proposed to increase the size of the homogeneous stretched region of a planar specimen. Testing possibilities will be discussed for such applications like the parametrization of constitutive material models and the description of crack propagation with the J-integral approach. Finally, we will describe how to combine biaxial testing with thermography and separate energy storage and dissipation during biaxial mechanical tests.