EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF RANDOM DISTRIBUTED REINFORCEMENTS ON MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR OF REINFORCED RUBBERS

Abstract

In this study, the mechanical behaviors of rubbers reinforced with continuous fibers piled in various forms are experimentally investigated under tensile load. In the study, unreinforced and reinforced rubber specimens are used in tensile tests. Polyester with various thicknesses and Nylon 6.6 are used as the reinforcement material. Also, tensile tests are carried out with Polyester and Nylon 6.6 cord. All reinforced specimens subjected to the test are prepared in two layers. A rubber layer is placed between the layers to prevent the fibers from contacting each other. The specimens are prepared as standard tensile test specimens. All tests are performed at a speed of 0.5 mm/s. The distribution difference of the reinforcement material (fibers piled at the center, fibers piled around the edges and fibers distributed uniformly) are investigated when the tensile forces applied to the specimens. Their effects on amount of deformation is also investigated. During testing, slippage of fibers with respect to the rubber matrix are also discussed.