Mechanical and nonlinear hyperelastic behavior of EPDM/Glass Fiber/Graphene Nanoplatelets hybrid composites: Experimental characterization and analytical modeling
Marwah Sabah Fakhri,Sarah Abdul Kadhim,Emad Kadum Njim,Royal Madan
Abstract
The study investigates a hybrid composite of Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) rubber, short glass fibres, and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) to improve tensile strength, wear resistance, and nonlinear elastic behaviour. Specimens were prepared by compression molding and tested for tensile and wear performance. Stress–strain behaviour was analyzed using Neo-Hookean, Mooney–Rivlin, and Ogden models, with parameters determined through MATLAB optimization. The work combines EPDM rubber, short glass fibres, and GNPs for enhanced mechanical properties and applies comparative modelling using established constitutive models. The statistical analysis is conducted using one-way ANOVA to validate both experimental and analytical solutions. The hybrid composite showed a 110% increase in tensile strength and a 45% reduction in wear loss compared to pure EPDM. The Mooney–Rivlin model gave the lowest fitting error among the models considered. The MATLAB script developed can be used to predict stress–strain behaviour and assist in the design of similar composites for industrial use.
