A Mullins softening criterion for general loading conditions

Samples of carbon-black filled styrene butadiene rubbers (SBRs) were submitted to successive nonproportional loadings in order to define a general criterion for the Mullins softening. For this purpose, each sample was initially submitted to uniaxial or biaxial preloadings followed by a cyclic uniaxial tension test. An original experimental analysis aimed at defining the activation threshold for the Mullins softening during cyclic uniaxial loadings. The experimental data provide substantial evidences establishing the surface of the maximum directional stretch undergone by the material as a relevant Mullins softening criterion. The latter was used to successfully predict the Mullins softening surfaces for additional loading cases.