Fatigue behavior evaluation using instrumented indentation

Elastomers are more and more used in industrial applications (tires, belts, pulleys . . . .) thanks to their interesting mechanical behavior and their diversity. Crack nucleation approach consists in plotting a predictive criterion (in rubber, commonly, the first principal strain or stress and the energy-based criterion) function of end of life criterion (for example, the failure of the sample or a certain drop of a mechanical parameter . . . .). This representation, called Wohler curve, is time and material consuming. This work is a first step to define a local damage more than a global one by using an instrumented indentation technique which is a new way to investigate damage occurring during fatigue in filled elastomers.