Mechanical property research of different materials for supporting rings

Introduction: Supporting rings are becoming more widely applied as an assistant structural support. However, during the engineering design and optimization process, many tests are necessary to understand the mechanical properties of different materials and the different section shape for supporting rings. Methods: The key problem is to measure the radial force caused by elongation under the axes’ pressure. This cannot be measured directly through the use of sensors. The previous, simple method was to position a transfer bar into the hole on the supported wall, or use a strain gauge, which changes the contact boundary. A new method called the “semi-ring method” is proposed. Results: The problem can be solved well and the feasibility of this method is shown from an example of its application. Conclusions: An innovative method is applied in test of mechanical performance for PTFE and butyl rubber material adopted in four kinds of section shape structure supporting rings. The results and analysis can provide some beneficial references for structure design.