Finite Plane Deformation of an Ideal Fiber-Reinforced Material: (Its Experimental Examination)

One of the most powerful theory to describe finite deformations of strong-fiber reinforced rubber is the theory of continua with internal kinematical constraints of inextensibility in the preferred direction. This ideal theory was experimentally examined by three point bending tests, using glass-fiber cloth and synthetic-fiber cloth laminated rubber as composite materials. For the range of low load, the ideal theory represents the deformation behavior of these materials well. For the range of high load, these materials could no longer keep the assumption of the ideal theory (inextensibility and incompressibility). The more the number of the cloth ply, the better the model holds on the deformation of these materials. Furthermore, the method of decision for S=S(γ) was suggested and it was shown that S(γ)=G(γ+ɛγ³) is more suitable for these materials.