Abstract
Resistance to puncture by medical needles is becoming one of the most critical mechanical properties of rubber membranes, which are heavily used in protective gloves. Yet the intrinsic material parameters controlling the process of puncture by medical needles are still unknown. In a first paper presenting this two-part study, it has been shown that puncture by medical needles proceeds gradually as the needle cuts through the rubber membrane. The phenomenon of puncture by medical needles was revealed to involve contributions both from friction and fracture energy, in a similar way as for cutting. The use of a lubricant was not successful for removing the friction contribution for the determination of the material fracture energy corresponding to puncture by medical needles. This paper describes an alternative approach based on the application of a prestrain to the sample in a similar way as the work of Lake and Yeoh on cutting. A theoretical formulation for the tearing energy is derived from the theory of Rivlin and Thomas on the rupture of rubber. It is validated with a model extending expressions provided by the linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) to include the non-linear stress–strain behavior displayed by rubber. For low values of the tearing energy, the total fracture energy, i.e. the sum of the puncture and tearing energies, is constant; the material fracture energy is obtained by extrapolation at zero tearing energy. This prestrain method allowed a complete removal of the friction contribution. The value obtained for the fracture energy corresponding to puncture by medical needles is found to be larger than the energy associated to cutting and smaller than that obtained for tearing. This can be related to the value of the crack tip diameter, which is, in that case, given by the needle cutting edge diameter.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andrews AG (1961) Stresses at crack in elastomer. Proc Phys Soc 77(494): 483–498. doi:10.1088/0370-1328/77/2/333
Cho K, Lee D (1998) Viscoelastic effects in cutting of elastomers by a sharp object. J Polym Sci Part B Polym Phys 36(8): 1283–1291. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-0488(199806)36:8<1283::AID-POLB3>3.0.CO;2-T
Dolez P, Vu-Khanh T, Nguyen CT, Guero G, Gauvin C, Lara J (2008) Influence of medical needle characteristics on the resistance to puncture of protective glove materials. J ASTM Int 5(1): 12p
Edlich RF, Wind TC et al (2003a) Reliability and performance of innovative surgical double-glove hole puncture indication systems. J Long Term Eff Med Implants 13(2): 69–83. doi:10.1615/JLongTermEffMedImplants.v13.i2.10
Edlich RF, Wind TC et al (2003b) Resistance of double-glove hole puncture indication systems to surgical needle puncture. J Long Term Eff Med Implants 13(2): 85–90. doi:10.1615/JLongTermEffMedImplants.v13.i2.20
Felbeck DK, Atkins AG (1996) Strength and fracture of engineering solids, 2nd edn. Prentice-Hall Inc., USA
Gent AN, Lai S-M, Nah C, Wang C (1994) Viscoelastic effects in cutting and tearing rubber. Rubber Chem Technol 67(4): 610–619
Greensmith HW (1963) Rupture of rubber: X. The change in stored energy on making a small cut in a test piece held in simple extension. J Appl Polym Sci 7: 993–1002. doi:10.1002/app.1963.070070316
Ha-Anh T, Vu-Khanh T (2004) Thermoxidative aging effect on mechanical performances of polychloroprene. J Chin Inst Eng 27(6): 753–761
Leslie LF, Woods JA, Thacker JG, Morgan RF, McGregor W, Edlich RF (1996) Needle puncture resistance of medical gloves, finger guards, and glove liners. J Biomed Mater Res 33: 41–46. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-4636(199621)33:1<41::AID-JBM7>3.0.CO;2-M
Lake GH, Yeoh OH (1978) Measurement of rubber cutting resistance in the absence of friction. Int J Fract 14(5): 509–526. doi:10.1007/BF01390472
Lake GJ, Yeoh OH (1987) Effect of crack tip sharpness on the strength of vulcanized rubbers. J Polym Sci 25: 1157–1190
Nguyen CT, Vu-Khanh T (2004) Mechanics and mechanisms of puncture of elastomer membranes. J Mater Sci 39(24): 7361–7364. doi:10.1023/B:JMSC.0000048751.55710.44
Nguyen CT, Vu-Khanh T, Lara J (2004) Puncture characterization of rubber membranes. Theor Appl Fract Mech 42: 25–33. doi:10.1016/j.tafmec.2004.06.002
Nguyen CT, Vu-Khanh T, Lara J (2005) A Study on the puncture resistance of rubber materials used in protective clothing. J ASTM Int 2(4): 245–258. doi:10.1520/JAI12147
Nguyen CT, Vu-Khanh T, Dolez PI, Lara J (2009) Puncture of elastomers membranes by medical needles. Part I: Mechanisms. Int J Fract. doi:10.1007/s10704-009-9326-7
Rivlin RS, Thomas AG (1953) Rupture of rubber: I. Characteristic energy for tearing. J Polym Sci 10(3): 291–318. doi:10.1002/pol.1953.120100303
Stevenson A, Malek KA (1994) On the puncture mechanics of rubber. Rubber Chem Technol 67(5): 743–760
Thomas AG (1955) Rupture of rubber: II. The strain concentration at an inclusion. J Polym Sci 18: 177–188. doi:10.1002/pol.1955.120188802
Vu-Khanh T, Vu Thi BN, Nguyen CT, Lara J (2005) Protective gloves: study of the resistance of gloves to multiple mechanical aggressors. Rapport Études et Recherche R-424. Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité au travail, Montréal, QC, Canada, 74p
Vu Thi BN (2004) Mécanique et mécanisme de la coupure des matériaux de protection. Ph.D. dissertation, Université de Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nguyen, C.T., Vu-Khanh, T., Dolez, P.I. et al. Puncture of elastomer membranes by medical needles. Part II: Mechanics. Int J Fract 155, 83–91 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10704-009-9325-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10704-009-9325-8