Publications by authors named "Ruito Tanaka"
Strain-induced crystallization (SIC) in natural rubber (NR) near crack tips significantly enhances crack growth resistance, but understanding the interplay between local strain field and crystallization remains challenging due to confined and heterogeneous characteristics. Using micro-scale digital image correlation (DIC) and scanning wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD, with a narrow 10 µm square beam), this study maps local strain tensor properties and SIC in the vicinity of the crack tip and its peripheral zone (≈3 mm × 1 mm area). The analysis reveals a significant correlation between these properties.
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- - 1,4-Polyisoprene (IR) elastomers become harder due to strain-induced crystallization (SIC) when they are stretched past a certain point (λ*).
- - The speed of cracks in the IR sheets accelerates with increased stretching (λ), surpassing the speed of sound when stretched beyond λ*.
- - Changes in crack behavior, such as opening displacement and strain field, occur suddenly at the threshold of λ*, influenced by the shift from an amorphous to a partially crystallized state in the material.