Properties of Hard Rubber. XI. Experiments on Aging
Abstract Tests have been carried out to find how the mechanical properties of hard rubber change with age. On prolonged exposure of the whole specimen to air at 70° C, the impact strength of notched and unnotched test-pieces may fall by 50 per cent or more. On the other hand, the plastic yield temperature increases appreciably with 200 days' exposure. The conditions affecting the improvement in such an important property are worthy of further serious study. When certain faces of the specimen are protected from the air, the rapid loss of impact strength does not take place, and cross-breaking strength may remain unimpaired for as long as 200 days. The deterioration on aging appears to be confined within a very short distance of the surface, the bulk of the material retaining its full strength for very long periods. The retention of strength when certain faces are protected may have an important bearing on questions of design. Examination of old samples of hard rubber shows that the mechanical properties remain good under ordinary conditions of storage for periods of 20–30 years, but that weakness may be caused at surfaces which are severely exposed to sunlight.