Mullins Effect and its Reversibility for Zinc Dimethacrylate-Reinforced Thermoplastic Vulcanizates Based on a Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymer/Nitrile-Butadiene Rubber Blend

Abstract

The Mullins effect during uniaxial compression tests, together with its reversibility, of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)/nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR)/zinc dimethacrylate (ZDMA) thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) were investigated systematically. The experimental results indicated that the Mullins effect could be observed during the cyclic uniaxial compression tests and was accompanied with stress softening, residual deformation accumulation and hysteresis. The reversibility of the Mullins effect showed a temperature-dependent feature and was enhanced with increasing temperature.

Keywords:

• Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer
• nitrile-butadiene rubber
• zinc dimethacrylate
• Mullins effect
• thermoplastic vulcanizate

Acknowledgments

The work was supported by the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation, China (ZR2017MEM021) and an Upgraded Project of Shandong Province for Guidance Ability of Graduate Tutors (SDYY17044).

Statement

This manuscript has not been published elsewhere and it has not been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere.