Rubber, abrasion resistance

Other than the wear problems, actual in-plant maintenance usually involves removal of wood, pieces of blasting wire, and other trash from the ports. When a reagentized feed is used, layers of oily reagents can build up on the spiral surface and sometimes require scrubbing for removal. With feeds containing oily reagents that attack rubber, abrasion-resistant alloy spiral sections are used. 

A wide range of polyurethane-type products has become available in recent years for coating applications. These include simple solutions of linear polyurethanes, two-pot alkyd-isocyanate and polyether-isocyanate systems and a variety of prepolymer and adduct systems. The coatings can vary considerably in hardness and flexibility and find use mainly because of their toughness, abrasion resistance and flexibility. Uses include metal finishes in chemical plant, wood finishes for boats and sports equipment, finishes for rubber goods and rain-erosion-resistant coatings for aircraft. One type of coating is potentially competitive with PVC leathercloth. Both alkyd-di-isocyanate and adduct-diisocyanate compositions may be coated on to fabrics from solutions of controlled viscosity and solids content. Such coated fabrics are soft, flexible and, unlike PVC leathercloth, free from plasticisers. 

Solid SBR is often prefened to natural rubber because of its better thermal oxidative stability, higher abrasion resistance and easier processability. Solid SBRs are generally grouped into three families according to the production method. 

Vulcanization changes the physical properties of rubbers. It increases viscosity, hardness, modulus, tensile strength, abrasion resistance, and decreases elongation at break, compression set and solubility in solvents. All those changes, except tensile strength, are proportional to the degree of cross-linking (number of crosslinks) in the rubber network. On the other hand, rubbers differ in their ease of vulcanization. Since cross-links form next to carbon-carbon double bonds. 

Epoxy resin paints, inferior to chlorinated rubber for resistance to strong acids, are excellent for dilute acids and strong alkalis. They produce a harder, more abrasion-resistant coating than does chlorinated rubber and are much better for resistance to fats, oils and many organic solvents. Table 3.50 gives data on the chemical resistance of epoxy resin coatings to different materials. 

PVC plastisol coatings are tough, with an abrasion resistance similar to rubber. They are resistant to acids and alkalis but usually are not suitable for solvents because of extraction of the plasticizers in the coating. 

Synthetic rubbers (elastomers) are long-chain polymers with special chemical and physical as well as mechanical properties. These materials have chemical stability, high abrasion resistance, strength, and good dimensional stability. Many of these properties are imparted to the... 

Silicone rubber as a shaft seal and backing material has a number of special applications. It can be used over a temperature range of —60°C to 260°C (—76°F to 500°F) in air or suitable fluids. Its abrasion resistance is good with hard shafts having a 0.000254 mm RMS surface finish. Commercial grades of silicone rubber are compatible with most industrial chemicals up to 260°C (500°F). In lubricating oils, the limiting temperature is 120°C (250°F), but special types have been developed for use up to 200°C (392°F). 

Polychloroprene and acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber compounds have satisfactory chemical resistance but, except for phosphoric acid, are not suitable for mineral acids at higher concentrations. However, they have good resistance to oils, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber being the better, and so are often used in oil-contaminated aqueous environments. Generally, abrasion resistance is only fair. Normal maximum working temperature is about 100°C. Acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber ebonites are sometimes used especially where solvent contamination occurs, but are normally very brittle and so should be used with care. 

Butyl rubber, halogenated butyl rubber linings and ethylene propylene rubber linings have excellent chemical resistance at temperatures up to 120°C. There are cases where butyl rubber linings have been subjected to temperatures down to —65°C without deterioration. Linings based on these polymers do not exhibit good abrasion resistance, which can only be rated as fair. 

Chlorosulphonated polyethylene rubber (Hypalon) has excellent chemical resistance even to oxidative acids at elevated temperatures. When specially compounded it can have excellent abrasion resistance in some operating conditions. 

Although rubber originally meant a natural thermoset material obtained from a rubber tree, with the development of plastics it identifies a thermoset elastomer (TSE) or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. Different properties identify the elastomers such as strength and stiffness, abrasion resistance, solvent resistance, shock and... 

Many polymer items are designed specifically to make contact with other materials. Where surface contact is concerned, two key properties are coefficient of friction and abrasion resistance. Polymers used in such applications include ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, polyacctal, fluorinated polymers, and natural and synthetic rubbers. Examples that we routinely come across include furniture upholstery, bushings and gears in office equipment, and bicycle tires. Industrial uses include the outer cover of electrical cables, and pipes that convey abrasive liquids such as slurries and powders. 

The ability of a rubber article to withstand wearing away in service. Standard BS 903 Part A9. Determination of abrasion resistance. 

A type of test for determining abrasion resistance. Fixed knives, under constant load, scrape across a rotating rubber test piece. The resulting loss in weight is a measure of the abrasion resistance. 

---