Rubber physical testing

Standard test method for rubber property Durometer hardness Shore A and Shore D hardness testing of rubber Physical testing of rubber Part A57... 

Brown RP (1987) Physical Testing of Rubber. Elsevier, Barking, Essex, England... 

Report 58 Physical Testing of Rubber, R.P. Brown, Rapra Technology Ltd. 

BS 903-18, Physical testing of rubber. Determination of equilibrium water vapour absorption, 1973. 

BS 903-2, Physical testing of rubber. Guide to the application of statistics to rubber testing, 1997. 

Modulus The ratio of stress to strain. In the physical testing of rubber, it is the force in pounds per square inch (psi) of original area or... 

The above are generally classified as compliance to specifications, quality control, and research and development. Specifications are requirement for an end product. Control tests are conducted by rubber product manufacturers and research and development tests are conducted for acquiring more information about processes, products, applications development and raw materials. The physical testing of rubbers often involves application of a force to a specimen of rubber and measurement of the resultant deformation or conversely application of a deformation and measurement of the required force. 

The physical tests conducted on rubber in general can be grouped into two classes according to Arthur W. Carpenter of M/s. Goodrich Company, Akron, Ohio a few decades ago. The first one... 

Buist J.M, Physical Testing of Rubber, The Applied Science of Rubber by WJS Naunton Arnold, London, UK, 1961. 

Conan t F.S, The Firestone Tyre and Rubber Company, Akron Ohio, Physical Testing of Vulcanizates, Rubber Technology Second Edition, 1973 by Maurice Morton, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, NY. 

A number of subjects common to all areas of physical testing have been addressed in chapter 2. These include discussion of the reasons for testing, the trends in test development, the use of statistics and quality control of laboratories. Whilst these matters are not unique to rubber testing, it is most important that they are fully appreciated in the context of our particular test procedures and class of materials. 

Physical testing of rubbers is the concern of PRI/22 which has a panel to deal with electrical tests. Until recently, there were 4 other active panels to split the detailed work on test methods but, as a result of the drive to economise effort and the effects of virtually all test methods coming from ISO, they were disbanded. Other committees which should be mentioned in the context of testing are PRI/71 which deals with flexible cellular materials, PRI/20 for accuracy of test machines, PRI 26 for burning behaviour of plastics and rubber and PRI/23 for chemical testing. Unfortunately, systems are never as simple as we would like specialised tests may be considered in product committees and not all products containing rubber are covered in PRI committees... 

Processing variables can affect to a very great extent the results obtained on the rubber product or test piece and, in fact, a great number of physical tests are carried out in order to detect the result of these variables, for example state of cure and dispersion. In a great many cases, tests are made on the factory prepared mix or the final product as it is received but, where the experiment involves the laboratory preparation of compounds and their moulding, it is sensible to have standard procedures to help reduce as far a possible sources of variability. Such procedures are provided by ISO 2393 which covers both mills and internal mixers of the Banbury or Intermix type, and also procedures for compression moulding. 

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