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Elastomers refer to ductile, tough polymers that frequently have high elasticity.
Most elastomers were developed either as cost competitive substitutes for vulcanized
natural rubber or were formulated to meet a specific property requirement found
lacking in natural rubber. Because most elastomers lend themselves to being compounded
with many different materials, the choice of elastomer compounds available and the
range of their uses is unlimited.
Synthetic rubber refers to a variety of compounds derived from crude oil that are
used to complement or substitute for natural rubber. Many rubber products, including
tires, consist of a combination of synthetic and natural rubbers optimized for a
specific usage.
What makes rubber and elastomer compounds doubly challenging for testing functions
is the interrelation of the compound components with how it is processed. The combination
of compounds containing many components and highly optimized processing requires
thorough testing and constant monitoring of properties to ensure a consistent quality
product.
Synthetic and natural rubbers are processed through a similar vulcanization process.
This process also known as crosslinking or curing refers to the strengthening and
solidifying of polymers using a combination of reactive agents and high temperature
molding. The ratios of the different rubber polymers and the curing agent as well
as the molding temperature are all critical variables to control in order to produce
a quality product.
Any company producing or utilizing these compounds in their product would be well
advised to develop effective testing regimens. One need only follow the news in
recent years of highly publicized catastrophes relating to tires and o-rings to
know how important it is to thoroughly test products made from this class of materials
for every conceivable usage.
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