Transformation of Test Data for the Specification of a Viscoelastic Marlow Model

The combination of hyperelastic material models with viscoelasticity allows researchers to model the strain-rate-dependent large-strain response of elastomers. Model parameters can be identified using a uniaxial tensile test at a single strain rate and a relaxation test. They enable the prediction of the stress-strain behavior at different strain rates and other loadings like compression or shear. The Marlow model differs from most hyperelastic models by the concept not to use a small number of model parameters but a scalar function to define the mechanical properties. It can be defined conveniently by providing the stress-strain curve of a tensile test without need for parameter optimization. The uniaxial response of the model reproduces this curve exactly. The coupling of the Marlow model and viscoelasticity is an approach to create a strain-rate-dependent hyperelastic model which has good accuracy and is convenient to use. Unfortunately, in this combination, the Marlow model requires to specify the stress-strain curve for the instantaneous material response, while experimental data can be obtained only at finite strain rates. In this paper, a transformation of the finite strain rate data to the instantaneous material response is derived and numerically verified. Its implementation enables us to specify hyperelastic materials considering strain-rate dependence easily.