Importance of Temperature and Humidity Control in Rubber Testing. Progress Report of the Physical Testing Commitee, Rubber Division, A.C.S. (Dated Dec. 8, 1927)

The purpose of the work which this committee has undertaken is to determine the effect of the variables which influence the results of physical tests on rubber. The investigation has proven that variations in temperature which may occur from day to day in an uncontrolled testing room may affect the physical tests to as great a degree as a 25 to 40 per cent change in the time of cure, while relative humidity affects the results to only a minor degree. Furthermore, variations in the absolute humidity of the room in which the unvulcanized rubber is stored between the time of mixing and the time of curing may affect the tensile strength and modulus of rubber compounds to as great a degree as does the temperature after curing. It is, therefore, apparent that laboratory tests which are conducted under uncontrolled conditions of temperature and humidity may give highly erroneous results and may even give misinformation which is worse than no information at all. The committee, therefore, recommends that mixed stock prior to curing and cured stock prior to testing be conditioned for not less than twenty-four nor more than twenty-eight hours at 82 deg. F. ± 2 deg. and 45 per cent relative humidity ± 3 per cent and that the testing room be maintained at 82 deg. F. ± 2 deg. If a temperature of 82 deg. F. cannot be maintained for conditioning the mixed stock prior to curing, the committee recommends a relative humidity corresponding to the temperature used which gives an absolute humidity equal to that obtained under the former conditions. The temperature of the testing room should be controlled within the above stated limits, but it is not necessary to control the humidity of the entire room. A small conditioning cabinet in which the standard humidity is maintained has been found to be sufficient.