Common Causes Of Failure
In Elastomers …..
Gary S. Crutchley BSc (hons)
Lead Consultant
Polymer Consultancy Group
Smithers Rapra Technology
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Failure
Why do we need to know how
rubber materials fail?
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Rubber Failure – Where Is The Knowledge?
• When failures occur, those involved understandably do not wish
to publicise the occurrence.
• Diagnosticians investigating failures are often prevented from
disclosing the details due to the restraints of their contracts.
• For these reasons failure diagnosis activities are very often covert.
• Opportunities for learning from previous mistakes is limited.
• Knowledge and skills required to diagnose failure not generally
freely available.
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Understanding Failure – How Can It Help?
Prevent future failures by understanding the cause
and applying lessons learned.
Avoid the costs associated with product failure.
Avoid loss of reputation.
Avoid expensive litigation costs.
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Failure
Common Causes Of Rubber
Component Failure
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Rubber Failure – Human Causes 6
Reason for Failure
Product abuse
15% Material
misselection
and poor
specification
Poor material 45%
process
20%
Poor product
design
20%
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Rubber Failure – Service Related Causes 7
Common Service Related Causes Of Failure
Chemical Heat Fatigue Abrasion Tear Set Ozone
21% 26%
12%
5% 17%
12% 7%
Note: UV attack can be an issue with elastomers
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Failure
Human Causes
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Failure
Human Causes
1. Incorrect Material
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Human Causes – Incorrect Material
Material Selection Is No Simple Task!
• Successful material selection
requires a judicious scientific
approach in order to evaluate the
requirements of the application.
• Need to match the application to
the properties of the material.
• Incorrect material selection is one
of the most common causes of
failure.
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1
Failure
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Human Causes
2. Poor Product Design
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Human Causes – Product Design
What do we need to consider when in the design stage?
? Select the most appropriate material
? Understand fully the service conditions
? Understand the expected lifetime of the product
? Is the application dynamic or static?
? What stresses and strains can we expect in service?
? What will the product be in contact with or exposed
to?
? What are the material’s property limits?
? How are they affected by the design?
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Failure
Human Causes
3. Poor Material Processing
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Human Causes – Poor Material Processing
Don’t Engineer-In Product Failure!
• Correct and appropriate material
processing is a key factor in the
product life cycle.
• Even if we select the correct
materials, and design the right rubber
compound, all is lost if processing is
poor.
• We need to consider material
processing from start to finish.
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Failure
Human Causes
4. Product Abuse
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Human Causes – Product Abuse
• Product abuse accounts for
approximately 15% of all rubber
component failures.
• It can result from many factors
such as:
Product designers not understanding
their materials fully.
In appropriate use.
Excessive use.
Deliberate damage
Users who do not understand the
limitations of the products they use.
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Human Causes – Product Abuse
Example – Hot Water Bottle
Product abuse can be dangerous!
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Human Causes – Product Abuse
Example – Engine Mount & Truck Tyre
Engine Mount Truck Tyre
Diesel
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Failure
Service Related Failures
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Failure
Service Related Failures
1. Chemical Attack
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Service Related Failures – Chemical Attack 21
• There are a large number of
chemical agents that can
degrade elastomers.
• The severity and effect
depends on the chemical agent
and the chemistry of the
elastomer being attacked.
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Service Related Failures – Chemical Attack 22
When considering an elastomer for an application, we
need to be aware of any contact media that can cause the
following to occur:
Polymer chain scission leading to molecular
weight reduction.
Increased cross linking of the matrix.
Polymer chain modification as a result of
cyclisation, chlorination or other chain
modifications.
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Service Related Failures – Chemical Attack
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Examples of chemical attack:
Degradation of a
butterfly valve seal
by chlorine
containing species
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Service Related Failures – Chemical Attack 24
Examples of chemical attack:
Degradation of
a NR/CR pipe
expansion
joint by metal
ion
accelerated
thermo-
oxidation.
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Failure
Service Related Failures
2. Heat
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Service Related Failures - Heat 26
Effect of Heat:
• Thermal degradation is highly complex, depending on the material
exposed and the contact media. There is no single diagnostic effect.
• As the temperature increases, the rate of reaction of rubber
degradation processes also increases.
• This principle applies to elastomers operating in oxygen
environments, but also to rubbers exposed to other degrading
chemicals or environments.
• Excessive exposure to heat leads a deterioration in material
properties, and ultimately chemical degradation of polymer itself.
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Service Related Failures - Heat 27
Example of the effect of heat: SBR rubber shock
absorber:
• Internal heat build
up.
•Not visible externally
• Thermal
degradation
• Reversion
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Failure
Service Related Failures
3. Fatigue
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Service Related Failures - Fatigue 29
What is fatigue?
• A Function of the Polymer
• Time related
• Related to compounding
• Related to duty/service
• Can be affected by design
• Micro cracks start at flaws in
the material
• Cracks propagate through
the material leading to
ultimate failure Fatigue cracking in a cycle handlebar grip
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Failure
Service Related Failures
4. Abrasion
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Service Related Failures - Abrasion 31
What is abrasion?
• It is a highly complex process.
• Often loosely described as
‘wear’.
• Abrasion involves the removal
of rubber from a component
through contact with another
surface.
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Service Related Failures - Abrasion 32
What is abrasion?
• Abrasion is a function of the
polymer, compound and
service.
• Types of abrasion are:
Abrasive - Hard asperities cutting the rubber
Fatigue - Dynamic local stress
Adhesive - Transfer of rubber onto another surface
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Failure
Service Related Failures
5. Tear
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Service Related Failures – Tear (Cracking) 34
What is tearing?
Tearing initiates at weak Tearing is:
points with the material.
• A Function of the
Two processes are involved:
Polymer
• Tear initiation • Compounding
• Tear growth
• Processing
Critical in highly stressed
components: • Duty
• Design
• Tyres, bushes, tank pads
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Failure
Service Related Failures
6. Set
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Service Related Failures - Set 36
What is set ?
Tension maintained for a period of
• A Function of the Polymer time and then released
• Compounding
• Duty
Stress
• Design
• A permanent deformation
• Can occur in tension or A permanent set – termed
tension set
compression
• Leads to reduced sealing force in
sealing applications. Strain
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Service Related Failures - Set 37
Examples of compression set:
Tap washer Soft drink bottle seal c.1918
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Failure
Service Related Failures
7. UV Attack
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Service Related Failures – UV Attack
Unsaturated elastomers can be attacked by Ultraviolet light unless
they are protected. Those susceptible include:
Natural Rubber (NR)
Synthetic Polyisoprene (IR)
Butyl rubber (IIR)
Polybutadiene (BR)
Styrene-butadiene Rubber (SBR)
Nitrile Rubber (NBR)
Hydrogenated Nitrile Rubbers (HNBR)
Saturated elastomers such as EPDM are more resistant, but still
affected in strong sunlight
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Service Related Failures – UV Attack 40
• Carbon black used as a filler in rubber compounds can act
as a UV screen, but it is never completely effective in
preventing attack.
• Titanium dioxide can be added to light coloured compounds
as a UV screen, but it is expensive especially when used at
filler loadings.
• Tinuvin P can be added as an absorber of UV light.
2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-p-cresol - hydroxyphenyl benzotriazole
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Service Related Failures – UV Attack 41
• Initially - a surface effect.
• Chalkiness and mud cracking on light coloured articles
• Increasing exposure - attack depth increases and bulk
physical properties change.
• Faster bulk effects in transparent items
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Service Related Failures – UV Attack
Examples of UV Attack
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Failure
Service Related Failures
8. Ozone Attack
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Service Related Failures – Ozone Attack 44
• Atmospheric or electrically generated ozone affects
unsaturated polymers.
C C C O + O C
O3
Polymers strongly affected: Natural rubber, Polybutadiene,
Styrene-butadiene rubber, Nitrile rubber.
Polymers affected: Butyl
Resistant polymers: EPDM, Silicone, Fluoroelastomers,
Polychloroprene
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Service Related Failures – Ozone Attack 45
• Ozone is a naturally occurring gas,
present in the atmosphere at concentrations
of 0.5 - 2 pphm.
• Ozone can be generated by electrical
equipment, and is often present in
concentrations up to 50 pphm.
• Ozone is also present in higher
concentrations in polluted urban
environments.
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Service Related Failures – Ozone Attack 46
Example of Ozone Attack:
• A basketball exposed to the atmosphere for a number of
months.
• Material is under strain.
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Service Related Failures – Ozone Attack 47
Example of Ozone Attack:
• A golf club grip.
• Material is under strain, cracks at 90º to the
strain direction.
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And Finally .......... 48
Thank-you for your attention
Gary S. Crutchley
is part of the Polymer Consultancy group at Smithers Rapra.
The company provides a complete range of services inclusive but not
exhaustive of:
• Polymer failure diagnosis
• Polymer analysis
• Polymer materials and product testing
• Design services: Materials selection FEA, Mould flow,
• Long term design data generation and accurate lifetime
predictions services to the performance of a part.
Contact Gary S. Crutchley directly on 01939 252488
or via email at:
[email protected]48
4 © Smithers Rapra 2010
