Tensile Mechanical Properties and Dynamic Constitutive Model of Polyurea Elastomer under Different Strain Rates

In order to clearly explain the large deformation mechanical characteristics of polyurea under impact and to construct a dynamic model that can be used for finite element analysis, two kinds of polyurea materials were prepared by formula design, and their uniaxial tensile properties were tested with strain rates ranging from 10−3~103 s−1 using an electronic universal testing machine and a split Hopkinson tensile bar (SHTB). The tensile stress–strain curves of polyurea were obtained under different strain rates. The difference in tensile mechanical properties of the materials was analyzed under dynamic loading and quasi-static loading. Based on the nonlinear viscoelastic theory and the energy dissipation rate inequality, a dynamic visco-hyperelastic constitutive model of polyurea elastomer was established. The research results showed that the uniaxial tensile stress–strain curves of two kinds of polyurea at different strain rates had obvious nonlinear characteristics and strain rate sensitivity and that their tensile strength increased with increased strain rate. The polyurea gradually changed from exhibiting rubbery mechanical behavior under quasi-static loading to glassy mechanical behavior under dynamic loading. The fitting analysis of experimental data and the results of finite element simulation showed that the dynamic constitutive model can predict the nonlinear mechanical behavior of polyurea elastomers over a wide range of strain rates. The research results could contribute to a deepening of the understanding of the damage and failure behavior of polyurea under impact load and provide a theoretical basis for numerical studies on impact safety design of polyurea-coated protective structures