title: Shock-wave theory for rupture of rubber.
abstract: This Letter presents a theory for the rupture of rubber. Unlike conventional cracks, ruptures in rubber travel faster than the speed of sound and consist of two oblique shocks that meet at a point. Physical features of rubber needed for this phenomenon include Kelvin dissipation and an increase of toughness as rubber retracts. There are three levels of theoretical description: an approximate continuum theory, an exact analytical solution of a slightly simplified discrete problem, and numerical solution of realistic and fully nonlinear equations of motion.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marder
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004548:Elasticity; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D012408:Rubber / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D012408:Rubber