Correlations between the Aging Behavior and Finite Element Method Simulation of Three Silicone Elastomers

The material parameters required to describe material behavior can change with the age of the components due to chemical and physical aging processes. The finite element method (FEM) is a tool for designing components for later use. The aim of this study is to correlate the change in the mechanical properties of silicone elastomers from standard tests over a longer period of time with the parameters of the Mooney–Rivlin model. To date, there are no publications on the development of the Mooney–Rivlin parameters of silicone elastomers over a storage period. For this purpose, the Shore A hardness, rebound elasticity, compression set and tensile properties were investigated over an aging period of approx. 200 days on two liquid silicone rubbers (LSRs) and one room-temperature-vulcanizing (RTV) silicone rubber. Depending on the silicone elastomer used, different trends in the characteristic values can be observed over the storage period. In general, increases in the Shore A hardness, rebound resilience and stress at a 100% strain with a decrease in the compression set can be determined. In addition to standard tensile tests, the material’s multiaxial behavior under tension was probed, and it was found that the similarly stress at a 100% strain increased. Finite element simulations verified the standard tensile test and corresponding Mooney–Rivlin model parameters. These parameters from the uniaxial tensile were validated in the multiaxial behavior, and the model’s accuracy in representing material properties and the influence of aging on the FEM simulation were affirmed.