Effects of Fatigue Characteristics on Static and Dynamic Performance of Eucommia Rubber Isolators

This study aimed to investigate the effect of fatigue characteristics on the static and dynamic performance of Eucommia ulmoides gum isolators, and to explore the performance changes of Eucommia ulmoides gum isolators with different formulations. For this purpose, we used five formulations of Eucommia ulmoides gum isolators and set different fatigue test methods to study the static and dynamic performance changes of Eucommia ulmoides gum isolators with different formulations by changing the amplitude. The experimental results showed that the addition of Eucommia ulmoides gum had an impact on the performance of the isolator, and the number of fatigue cycles would lead to the hardening of the Eucommia ulmoides gum isolator and changes in its static and dynamic performance. In the range of two million vibrations, the performance change of the isolator was significant in the early stage and then tended to be flat, indicating that the impact of fatigue on the performance of the isolator would not continue to persist. It is worth noting that the study found that the addition of 30% Eucommia ulmoides gum had the least impact on the performance of the isolator under fatigue. Therefore, for long-term use of Eucommia ulmoides gum isolators, attention should be paid to their fatigue characteristics to ensure their stability and reliability. Additionally, this study provides a reference for the design and application of Eucommia ulmoides gum isolators. In summary, this study provides important reference value for a deeper understanding of the fatigue characteristics of Eucommia ulmoides gum isolators and for ensuring their stable and reliable performance. .

Low-temperature characteristicsof rubbers and performance testsof type 120 emergencyvalve diaphragms

Purpose–The type 120 emergency valve is an essential braking component of railway freight trains,butcorresponding diaphragms consisting of natural rubber(NR)and chloroprene rubber(CR)exhibit insufficientaging resistance and low-temperature resistance,respectively.In order to develop type 120 emergency valverubber diaphragms with long-life and high-performance,low-temperatureresistant CR and NR were processed.Design/methodology/approach–The physical properties of the low-temperature-resistant CR and NRwere tested by low-temperature stretching,dynamic mechanical analysis,differential scanning calorimetryand thermogravimetric analysis.Single-valve and single-vehicle tests of type 120 emergency valves werecarried out for emergency diaphragms consisting of NR and CR.Findings–The low-temperature-resistant CR and NR exhibited excellent physical properties.The elasticityand low-temperature resistance of NR were superior to those of CR,whereas the mechanical properties of thetwo rubbers were similar in the temperature range of 0℃–150℃.The NR and CR emergency diaphragms metthe requirements of the single-valve test.In the low-temperature single-vehicle test,only the low-temperaturesensitivity test of the NR emergency diaphragm met the requirements.Originality/value–The innovation of this study is that it provides valuable data and experience for futuredevelopment of type 120 valve rubber diaphragms.

Prediction of Damping Capacity Demand in Seismic Base Isolators via Machine Learning

Base isolators used in buildings provide both a good acceleration reduction and structural vibration control structures.The base isolators may lose their damping capacity over time due to environmental or dynamic effects.This deterioration of them requires the determination of the maintenance and repair needs and is important for the long-termisolator life.In this study,an artificial intelligence prediction model has been developed to determine the damage and maintenance-repair requirements of isolators as a result of environmental effects and dynamic factors over time.With the developed model,the required damping capacity of the isolator structure was estimated and compared with the previously placed isolator capacity,and the decrease in the damping property was tried to be determined.For this purpose,a data set was created by collecting the behavior of structures with single degrees of freedom(SDOF),different stiffness,damping ratio and natural period isolated from the foundation under far fault earthquakes.The data is divided into 5 different damping classes varying between 10%and 50%.Machine learning model was trained in damping classes with the data on the structure’s response to random seismic vibrations.As a result of the isolator behavior under randomly selected earthquakes,the recorded motion and structural acceleration of the structure against any seismic vibration were examined,and the decrease in the damping capacity was estimated on a class basis.The performance loss of the isolators,which are separated according to their damping properties,has been tried to be determined,and the reductions in the amounts to be taken into account have been determined by class.In the developed prediction model,using various supervised machine learning classification algorithms,the classification algorithm providing the highest precision for the model has been decided.When the results are examined,it has been determined that the damping of the isolator structure with the machine learning method is predicted successfully at a level exceeding 96%,and it is an effective method in deciding whether there is a decrease in the damping capacity.

Mechanical behavior of nanorubber reinforced epoxy over a wide strain rate loading

Nanorubber/epoxy composites containing 0,2,6 and 10 wt%nanorubber are subjected to uniaxial compression over a wide range of strain rate from 8×10^(-4) s^(-1) to~2×10^(4) s^(-1).Unexpectedly,their strain rate sensitivity and strain hardening index increase with increasing nanorubber content.Potential mechanisms are proposed based on numerical simulations using a unit cell model.An increase in the strain rate sensitivity with increasing nanorubber content results from the fact that the nanorubber becomes less incompressible at high strain,generating a higher hydro-static pressure.Adiabatic shear localization starts to occur in the epoxy under a strain rate of 22,000 s^(-1) when the strain exceeds 0.35.The presence of nanorubber in the epoxy reduces adiabatic shear localization by preventing it from propagating.

Hand Cooling Enhances the Proprioceptive Drift during Rubber Hand Illusion

Background: The neural representation of the body is easily altered by integrating multiple sensory signals in the brain. The “Rubber Hand Illusion” (RHI) is one of the most popular experimental paradigms to investigate this phenomenon. During this illusion, ownership of a rubber hand is temporarily induced. It was shown that external and continuous cooling of the palm enhanced the RHI, suggesting an association between altered the autonomic nervous system regulation and altered the sense of ownership of a specific limb. Purpose: To investigate whether artificially cooling the entire hand for a short period affects the magnitude of the illusion. Methods: Participants immersed their entire hand in cool, cold, or warm water for 1 min before the RHI procedure. Results: We found that cooling the entire hand enhanced the proprioceptive drift during the RHI but not the subjective feeling of ownership. In contrast, warming and intense cooling of the entire hand did not affect the RHI strength. Conclusion: Our results suggest that transient and moderate cooling of the entire hand was sufficient in enhancing the illusory disembodiment of one’s own hand.

Optimal design for rubber concrete layered periodic foundations based on the analytical approximations of band gaps and mapping relations

The seismic performance of rubber concrete-layered periodic foundations are significantly influenced by their design,in which the band gaps play a paramount role.Aiming at providing better designs for these foundations,this study first proposes and validates the analytical formulas to approximate the bounds of the first few band gaps.In addition,the mapping relations linking the frequencies of different band gaps are presented.Furthermore,an optimal design method for these foundations is developed,which is validated through an engineering example.It is demonstrated that ensuring the superstructure’s resonance zones are completely covered by the corresponding periodic foundation’s band gaps can achieve satisfactory vibration attenuation effects,which is a good strategy for the design of rubber concrete layered periodic foundations.

Comparison of nonlinear modeling methods for the composite rubber clamp

The cubic stiffness force model(CSFM)and Bouc-Wen model(BWM)are introduced and compared innovatively.The unknown coefficients of the nonlinear models are identified by the genetic algorithm combined with experiments.By fitting the identified nonlinear coefficients under different excitation amplitudes,the nonlinear vibration responses of the system are predicted.The results show that the accuracy of the BWM is higher than that of the CSFM,especially in the non-resonant region.However,the optimization time of the BWM is longer than that of the CSFM.

Performance of sand and shredded rubber tire mixture as a natural base isolator for earthquake protection

The performance of a well-designed layer of sand, and composites like layer of sand mixed with shredded rubber tire (RSM) as low cost base isolators, is studied in shake table tests in the laboratory. The building foundation is modeled by a 200 mm by 200 mm and 40 mm thick rigid plexi-glass block. The block is placed in the middle of a 1m by 1m tank filled with sand. The selected base isolator is placed between the block and the sand foundation. Accelerometers are placed on top of the footing and foundation sand layer. The displacement of the footing is also measured by LVDT. The whole setup is mounted on a shake table and subjected to sinusoidal motions with varying amplitude and frequency. Sand is found to be effective only at very high amplitude (> 0.65 g) of motions. The performance of a composite consisting of sand and 50% shredded rubber tire placed under the footing is found to be most promising as a low-cost effective base isolator.

The Dynamic Characteristics of Silicone Rubber Isolator

The dynamic stiffness and the specific damping energy, as well as the vibration response characteristics of a silicone rubber isolator were researched. The results of the vibration test showed that the silicone rubber isolator was excellent in the performance of vibration control. The dynamic stiffness and the damping characteristics were non-linear. From the comparison between experimental results and simulation analysis, the displacement transmissibility characteristics of the isolator were obtained. As a result, the dynamic characteristics of the isolator could be accurately described by the quadratic type non-linear terms at small amolitude.

Energy dissipation of a ring-like metal rubber isolator

Metal rubber （MR） is a kind of homogeneous poroelastic damping material made of metal wire. In this paper, by ana- lyzing the forces on the MR isolator and the MR element, the hysteresis loops of the force and deformation are studied and verified by experiments. The results show that the force and displacement hysteresis loop of the MR isolator is described by the force and deformation hysteresis loops of the MR elements. In addition, the relationship between the energy dissipation coefficient of the MR element and that of the MR isolator is derived. The energy dissipation coefficient is programmed and calculated by MATLAB using experimental data, and the results are compared with the theoretical value. It is the basis for the design and applied research of the MR isolator in a future study.

Lifetime of metal rubber isolator with different vibration amplitudes

The lifetime of metal rubber isolator and its characteristics during lifetime experiment were studied. The stepped-up test principle was adopted to study the lifetime of resonant frequency, the breakage form of metal rubber isolator was obtained, and the relation between the energy dissipation, resonant frequency and stiffness was obtained in (available) lifetime of the isolator. Furthermore, the reason for the changes of properties of metal rubber isolator was analyzed with contact model of metal rubber material. The results show that if the resonant amplitude is large, the stiffness of metal rubber isolator will be kept steadily for a long time, its resonant frequency will be stable and the effective working time in the protecting area will be long. The lifetime of metal rubber isolator is more than 1376 h in the experiment. The main failure forms of metal rubber isolator are accumulative wear and breaking of metal wires and spirals. In protecting area the metal rubber isolator can work effectively for a long time, and the effective working time depends on the concrete working condition.

Lateral load performance and seismic demand of unbonded scrap tire rubber pad base isolators

The scrap tire rubber pad(STRP)made by natural or synthetic rubber and high strength reinforcing cords exhibits substantial vertical stiffness and horizontal flexibility,and these properties can be regarded as suitable for seismic isolators for structures.The use of environmentally burdensome scrap tires as STRP isolators might be convenient as an efficient and low-cost solution for the implementation of aseismic design philosophy for low-to-medium rise buildings,especially in developing countries.Finite element analyses of unbonded square and strip-shaped STRP isolators subjected to a combination of axial and lateral loads are conducted to investigate its lateral deformation performance under seismic loading.The rubber of the isolator is modelled with Mooney-Rivlin hyperelastic and Prony viscoelastic materials,including the Mullins material damage effect.The influence of the length-to-width ratio and bearing height on the isolator performance is assessed in terms of the force-displacement relationship,horizontal stiffness,damping,and isolation periods.It is shown that the dependence of stiffness on the length-to-width ratio is significant in the longitudinal direction and minor in the transverse direction.The STRP isolators following the proposed design criteria are shown to satisfy the performance requirement at different levels of seismic demand specified by the ASCE/SEI 7-2010 seismic provisions.

A bio-inspired spider-like structure isolator for low-frequency vibration

This paper proposes a quasi-zero stiffness(QZS)isolator composed of a curved beam(as spider foot)and a linear spring(as spider muscle)inspired by the precise capturing ability of spiders in vibrating environments.The curved beam is simplified as an inclined horizontal spring,and a static analysis is carried out to explore the effects of different structural parameters on the stiffness performance of the QZS isolator.The finite element simulation analysis verifies that the QZS isolator can significantly reduce the first-order natural frequency under the load in the QZS region.The harmonic balance method(HBM)is used to explore the effects of the excitation amplitude,damping ratio,and stiffness coefficient on the system’s amplitude-frequency response and transmissibility performance,and the accuracy of the analytical results is verified by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta integral method(RK-4).The experimental data of the QZS isolator prototype are fitted to a ninth-degree polynomial,and the RK-4 can theoretically predict the experimental results.The experimental results show that the QZS isolator has a lower initial isolation frequency and a wider isolation frequency bandwidth than the equivalent linear isolator.The frequency sweep test of prototypes with different harmonic excitation amplitudes shows that the initial isolation frequency of the QZS isolator is 3 Hz,and it can isolate 90%of the excitation signal at 7 Hz.The proposed biomimetic spider-like QZS isolator has high application prospects and can provide a reference for optimizing low-frequency or ultra-low-frequency isolators.

Multi-omics-driven development of alternative crops for natural rubber production

Natural rubber(NR)is an irreplaceable biopolymer of economic and strategic importance owing to its unique physical and chemical properties.The Parárubber tree(Hevea brasiliensis(Willd.ex A.Juss.)Müll.Arg.)is currently the exclusive commercial source of NR,and it is primarily grown in plantations restricted to the tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia.However,current Parárubber production barely meets the sharply increasing global industrial demand for rubber.Petroleum-based synthetic rubber(SR)has been used to supplement the shortage of NR but its industrial performance is not comparable to that of NR.Thus,there is an urgent need to develop new productive rubber crops with broader environmental adaptability.This review summarizes the current research progress on alternative rubberproducing plants,including horticultural plants(Taraxacum kok-saghyz Rodin and Lactuca L.species),woody plants(Parthenium argentatum A.Gray and Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.),and other plant species with potential for NR production.With an emphasis on the molecular basis of NR biosynthesis revealed by a multi-omics approach,we highlight new integrative strategies and biotechnologies for exploring the mechanism of NR biosynthesis with a broader scope,which may accelerate the breeding and improvement of new rubber crops.

The legacy effects of rubber defoliation period on the refoliation phenology,leaf disease,and latex yield

The leaf phenology of trees has received particular attention for its crucial role in the global water and carbon balances,ecosystem,and species distribution.However,current studies on leaf phenology have mainly focused on temperate trees,while few studies including tropical trees.Little attention has been paid to globally extensive industrial plantations.Rubber plantations are important to both the local and global economies.In this study,we investigated the legacy effects of defoliation phenology on the following year’s leaf flushing,leaf disease,and also latex yield of rubber trees,an economically important tree to local people and the world.Results show that extended duration of defoliation increased the subsequent duration of refoliation and rates of infection by powdery mildew disease,but led to reduced latex yield in March.This legacy effect of rubber defoliation may relate to the carbohydrate reserved in the trees.A longer duration of defoliation would consume more reserved carbohydrates,reducing available reserves for disease defense and latex production.Extended duration of defoliation period was associated with either a lower temperature before the cessation of latex tapping in October-November and/or a higher temperature after the cessation of latex tapping in December-January.Leaf falling signals the end of photosynthetic activities in deciduous trees.Thus,the leaf falling phenology will impact ecological processes involving rubber trees.Our findings indicated that the inclusion of defoliation periods in future rubber trees’ research,will be crucial to furthering our understanding of leaf flushing,powdery mildew disease,and latex yield.

Material Model Research on Rubber Vibration Isolators

A viscohyperelastic constitutive model is proposed to describe the mechanical behaviour of vibration isolation rubber under broad-band vibration. This constitutive model comprises two parts： a component with three parameters to characterize the hyperelastic static properties of rubber materials, and the other component incorporating two relaxation time parameters, corresponding to high and low strain rates, respectively, to describe the dynamic response under vibration and impact loadings. Based on this proposed constitutive model, a series of experiments were performed on two types of rubber materials over a wide strain rate range. The results predicted from this model are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Modeling and parameter identification of amplitude- and frequency-dependent rubber isolator

A model to describe the hysteresis damping characteristic of rubber material was presented.It consists of a parallel spring and damper,whose coefficients change with the vibration amplitude and frequency.In order to acquire these relations,force decomposition was carried out according to some sine vibration measurement data of nonlinear forces changing with the deformation of the rubber material.The nonlinear force is decomposed into a spring force and a damper force,which are represented by the amplitude-and frequency-dependent spring and damper coefficients,respectively.Repeating this step for different measurements gives different coefficients corresponding to different amplitudes and frequencies.Then,the application of a parameter identification method provides the requested approximation functions over amplitude and frequency.Using those formulae,as an example,the dynamic characteristic of a hollow shaft system supported by rubber rings was analyzed and the acceleration response curve in the centroid position was calculated.Comparisons with the sine vibration experiments of the real system show a maximal inaccuracy of 8.5%.Application of this model and procedure can simplify the modeling and analysis of mechanical systems including rubber materials.

Influence of Vertical Irregularity on the Seismic Behavior of Base Isolated RC Structures with Lead Rubber Bearings under Pulse-Like Earthquakes

Nowadays,an extensive number of studies related to the performance of base isolation systems implemented in regular reinforced concrete structures subjected to various types of earthquakes can be found in the literature.On the other hand,investigations regarding the irregular base-isolated reinforced concrete structures’performance when subjected to pulse-like earthquakes are very scarce.The severity of pulse-like earthquakes emerges from their ability to destabilize the base-isolated structure by remarkably increasing the displacement demands.Thus,this study is intended to investigate the effects of pulse-like earthquake characteristics on the behavior of low-rise irregular base-isolated reinforced concrete structures.Within the study scope,investigations related to the impact of the pulse-like earthquake characteristics,irregularity type,and isolator properties will be conducted.To do so,different values of damping ratios of the base isolation system were selected to investigate the efficiency of the lead rubber-bearing isolator.In general,the outcomes of the study have shown the significance of vertical irregularity on the performance of base-isolated structures and the considerable effect of pulse-like ground motions on the buildings’behavior.

Parameter Identification of Rubber Isolators Using Frequency-Dependent Spring and Damper Coefficients

A model to describe the hysteresis damper character of rubber material is presented in this paper. It consists of a parallel spring and damper, whose coefficients change with vibration frequencies. In order to acquire these relations, the force decomposition is carried out according to some sine vibration measurement data about nonlinear forces changing with deformations of the rubber material. The nonlinear force is decomposed into a spring force and a damper force, which are represented by a frequency-dependent spring and damper coefficient, respectively. Repeating this step for different measurements will give different coefficients corresponding to different frequencies. Then, application of a parameter identification method will provide the requested functions over frequency. Using those formulae, as an example, the dynamic character of a hollow shaft system supported by rubber rings is analyzed and the acceleration response curve in the centroid position is calculated. Comparisons with sine vibration experiments of the real system show a maximal inaccuracy of 8.8%. Application of this model and procedure can simplify the modeling and analysis of mechanical systems including rubber materials.