An implicit adaptive node‐splitting algorithm to assess the failure mechanism of inelastic elastomeric continua

This contribution presents a mesh adaptive crack propagation scheme for the evaluation of the viscoelastic fracture response of elastomers at large strains and up to high loading rates. The approach accounts for micromechanical based features of both elastic and viscoelastic bulk responses of idealized polymer networks. To this end, the Bergstörm–Boyce model is considered to introduce hyperelastic and nonlinear finite viscoelastic responses. Moreover, the crack driving force and the crack driving direction are predicted by the material force approach. A consistent thermodynamic framework for the combined configurational motion in viscoelastic continua at finite strain regime is discussed. The fracture toughness of non‐strain‐crystallizing elastomers shows strong rate dependency and the energy release rate versus the rate of tearing to be a fundamental material property. Therefore, in this contribution, a dynamic fracture criterion, which is a function of the rate of crack growth, is shown to be adequate in numerical simulations. The use of the presented method enables to study fracture behaviour of any material nonlinearity within the implicit time integration. Main feature of the proposed algorithm is restructuring the overall discrete system by duplication of crack front DOFs based on minimization of the overall energy via the Griffith criterion. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.