Rubber fluid resistance tests

Fluid Resistance (Chemical Resistance). Fluid resistance is the extent to which a rubber product retains its original physical characteristics and abihty to function after exposure to oil, water, organic fiuids, or any other liquid encountered in its use. Fluid resistance tests do not necessarily correlate with service performance, because service conditions are not easily defined. However, they are useful for screening compounds, because they give comparative assessments of expected performance. 

Butyl rubber - This material generally had the least endurance in fatigue tests, but it may be adequate for some cardiovascular applications. Advantages include less sensitivity to stress concentrators than Pellethane, a very low permeability to fluids, a moderate creep resistance and widespread availability at low cost. Disadvantages include a relatively low fatigue resistance compared to the elastomers specifically designed for these applications. The rubber tested was not designed for medical applications and had standard rubber additives and modifiers that were cytotoxic unless the material was extracted after manufacture. 

The second class includes tests for ageing, oxygen and ozone attack, adhesion, resistance to wear and tear, fatigue, etc. This class also includes tests under simulated service conditions under laboratory environments and immersion in fluids. These two classes of tests are conducted on vulcanized rubber. 

Swelling of rubber (or other elastomer) gaskets, or seals, when exposed to petroleum, synthetic lubricants, or hydraulic fluids. Seal materials vary widely in their resistance to the effect of such fluids. Some seals are designed so that a moderate amount of swelling improves sealing action. Refer to Swell and Shrinkage Tests. 

The circulatory fluid is ejected by an electropneumatically driven ventricular pump. Downstream of the pump, an aortic valve assembly is located two different models have been built in order to offer lateral or frontal view of the prosthesis movements. Suitable stent adapters allow to test prostheses of different type and size. The aorta is a variable compliance rubber tube. Through a rigid conduit the fluid is conveyed to the laminar flow assembly which controls peripheral resistances. Aortic compliance and peripheral resistances are hydropneumatically controlled. The fluid, passing through a venous reservoir open to atmospheric pressure, reaches the left atrium. This is a rigid wall chamber in which a hydropneumatic system relates cardiac output to venous return, reproducing Frank--Starling s Law. Between atrium and ventricle there is another valve test assembly which allows to test mitral valves. 

A second test which is even more discriminating is the so-called "contamination test, in which the rubber is soaked in the fluid for several hours at room temperature and is then subjected to hot air ageing at high temperature. This test simulates the environment of many engine components (e.g. seals, gaskets, hoses, etc.). The main rubbers commonly used in such applications are nitrile rubbers which are not appreciably swelled by hydrocarbon oils and ethylene-propylene (EP) and their ter-polymers (EPDM) which are resistant to the phosphate ester fluids (e.g. Skydrol) used in aircraft hydraulic systems. The following discussion is concerned with the performance of antioxidants under these veiry aggressive conditions. 

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