TEST METHOD

D41 1540 / - - E

RUBBER OR PLASTIC BASED CELLULAR MATERIALS

PERMANENT SET AT CONSTANT DEFORMATION

Normalisation Renault Automobiles

DMI / Service 65810
RENAULT D41 1540 / - - E

This document is to be considered as a whole, the parts of which must not be separated.

© RENAULT 2008.
Reproduction prohibited without the consent of the issuing department.
No circulation permitted without the consent of RENAULT.

DATE OF ISSUE

September 1975 ---

REVISIONS

October 1982 --A

December 1982 --B
April 1983 --C
October 2005 - - D Document edited.
Addition of calculation of measurement uncertainties
This issue originates from Draft NC 2005 0561/ - - -.
August 2008 --E Document edited
This issue originates from Draft NC 2008 0514 / - - -

REFERENCED DOCUMENTS

Test Methods : D45 1046, D45 1394, D42 1541.

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1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The purpose of this method is to determine the permanent set at constant deformation of rubber or plastic
based cellular materials. It does not concern flexible cellular trimming materials and the parts in cellular
materials with self skinning foam for which the test method D45 1046 is applied

2. PRINCIPLE

The test subjects a sample, at a determined temperature and for a determined time, to a constant
deformation, then measures the residual deformation in the defined conditions of time and temperature.

3. APPARATUS

3.1. COMPRESSION DEVICE

It is composed of two plane and parallel polished plates of chrome plated or stainless steel and
maintained on the cross members of the traction machine between which the specimens can be
compressed. These plates must be rigid enough not to deform during the test.

The machine plates must be parallel; their surface must be more than that of the specimen used.

The speed of the moving cross piece must be adjusted to a very low value (≤ 20 mm/min).

NOTE: The plates must be parallel and have a network of 6 mm ± 1 mm diameter holes that are 20 mm ±
0.1 mm apart, from axis to axis (see Test Method D45 1394 annex 2).

3.2. SHIM CLEARANCE of thickness allowing controlling the desired compression ratio.

3.3. COMPRESSION MACHINE

The machine must be equipped with a recorder plotting the load-depression diagram.

3.4. THERMOSTATIC OVEN set at the test temperature

3.5. CONDITIONED CHAMBER at 23 °c ± 2 °c and 50 % ± 5 % relative humidity.

4. SPECIMENS

The specimens are composed of parallelepiped rectangles cut in the plate or the part, the sides of which have
a dimension from 20 mm to 25 mm and the thickness of which is at least 6 mm.

The thickness of the specimen must correspond to the direction according to which the part is compressed in
service.

The test is performed on at least three specimens.

The molding surface of the plate or the part are retained.

NOTE: In the case where only plates or parts with thickness less than 6 mm are available, it is possible to
operate by aligning the specimens of same dimensions until the obtainment of thickness of around 6 mm.
When the width of the sample is less than 20 mm, the test is performed on a specimen having the width of
the part

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5. PROCEDURE

5.1. SAMPLE CONDITIONING

In the case of rubber based materials, the time limit separating the end of the vulcanization from the
beginning of the test must be at the minimum, 24hrs.
The specimens are conditioned for 24 hours in the chamber (3.5.).

5.2. TEST CONDITIONS

5.2.1. The measurements must be carried out in the chamber (3.5).

5.2.2. The duration and the test temperature must be chosen from among the following:

2
22 hrs+ at 40 °C ± 2 °C
0

2
22 hrs+ at 70 °C ± 2 °C
0

2
70 hrs+ at 100 °C ± 3 °C
0

2
70 hrs+ at 150 °C ± 3 °C
0

5.3. ACTUAL TEST

Measure the original thickness of the specimen "H0" using the compression machine (3.3) operating it
as per Test Method D45 1394 § 6.3. by adopting the pressure defined in the table below.

BEARING CAPACITY OF THE

MEASUREMENT PRESSURE
MATERIAL as per Test method D42
1541

P50 in KPa KPa N

< 30 approx. 0.1 approx. 0.25
30 ≤ P50 ≤ 300 approx. 1 approx. 2.5
> 300 measurement with micrometer in 4
points

Choose the shims of thickness (3.2.) appropriate to obtain the desired compression ratio, generally 50%.
Place the specimen to be tested between the compressor plates (3.1.) with the shims arranged on each
side of the specimen.

Tighten the bolts in a manner so as to maintain the plates together against the shims.

Insert the assembly in the thermostatic oven (3.4.) set at the test temperature.

At the end of the fixed time, remove the assembly from the oven, release the specimen within a time limit
of 2 minutes and leave it to cool for 24 h ± 2 h on a non metallic surface in the chamber (3.5.).

Then measure the thickness of the specimen after retrieval (H1 ) using the compression machine (3.3)
operating it as per the Test Method D45 1394 § 6.3.

6. EXPRESSION OF RESULTS

The permanent set after compression DRC is expressed in percentage of the deformation imposed as per
the formula:

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H 0 − H1
DRC (in %) = x100
H0 − H2

in which H0 = original specimen thickness in mm,

H1 = specimen thickness after retrieval in mm,
H0 = compressed specimen thickness in mm.

Take the average of the three values obtained; the maximum relative deviation between these can be
15%. In the case of higher deviation, a test must be repeated.

Calculate the average of results obtained for the three test specimens.
Express the results by applying the uncertainty calculated according to the annex 1.

7. TEST REPORT

In addition to the results obtained, the test report should indicate:

- the reference of this test method,

- the reference of the material used,

- the sampling location of specimens in the plate or the part,

- the deformation imposed if it is different from 50%,

- the duration and the test temperature,

- possibly, the pressure of thickness measurement,

- the type of specimen used (one or several thicknesses),

- the type of specimen deformation at the end of the test (uniform, diabolo, barrel-roll, etc...),

- the procedural details not specified in the test method together with any incidents liable to have affected the
results.

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Annex 1

CALCULATION OF UNCERTAINITIES FOR THE TEST METHOD D41 1540

1. DETERMINATION OF UNCERTAINTY COMPONENTS

- 6 uncertainty components can usually affect the final result:

1) The operators
2) The repeatability
3) The dimensions of the part (thickness)
4) dimension of the shim.
5) the test temperature
6) The environment

Component 1: The test is performed by a single operator: This component is thus equivalent to the
repeatability.
Component 5: not taken into account if the chamber (3.4). is compliant with the requirements specified in §
5.2.2.
Component 6: The test is performed in a temperature and humidity conditioned chamber. This component is
negligible.

The 3 major components retained in this case are:

- The individual repeatability type uncertainty ur

- The average repeatability type uncertainty urm

- The movement sensor type uncertainty of the dynamometer uc

- The measurement device type uncertainty of the shim thickness. uh

2. EVALUATION OF EACH TYPE OF UNCERTAINITY

- ur: it is equal to the typical deviation of the measurement obtained on n number of samples→ σ
σ
- urm: its value is:
n

When the number of measurements is less than 10, a security factor h given by standard NF ENV
ISO14253-2 must be applied, the value of which, according to n number of samples, is selected from the
table below.

n= 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
h= 2.3 1.7 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2

2,3.σ
For example for n = 3 samples, ur = 2.3 x σ and urm =
3

- uc: it is the relative uncertainty of the force sensor in % (specified in the calibration certificate).

- uh: it is the relative uncertainty of the measurement device in mm (specified in the calibration certificate).

With these 3 individual type uncertainties, the individual composed uncertainty u of each sample can then
be calculated

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It is the square root of the sum of the squares of 3 components of individual type uncertainties
calculated above.

Annex 1 (continued)
u= ur ² + uc ² + uh ²

In this case, the rule which governs the uncertainty is a rectangular rule (linked to the resolution of
measurement equipments).

The relative uncertainties are to be weighted, in this case, by a coefficient of 0.6.σ.

Therefore:
u= (2.3σ )² + (uc × 0.6σ )² + (uh × 0.6σ )²
 2.3σ 
um =  ² + (uc × 0.6σ )² + (uh × 0.6σ )²
 n 
A last factor k, called widening factor, capable of taking value 2 or 3, weights the values of previous
uncertainties and allows calculating the individual uncertainties or the widened average.
By convention (Renault policy of measurement), k = 2 which gives 95% of the probabilities so that the value
of the measurement is contained in an interval +/- U around the result of measurement.

Ue = u x k = u x 2

Uem = um x k = um x 2

3. Example of uncertainty calculation for the method - Values obtained on a DRC test.

Test No. 1: 12.71 %

Test No.2: 13.49 % Average: 12.96 % ur = 0.459 x 2.3 = 1.056 %
Test No.3: 12.68 % Typical deviation σ = 0.459 urm = (0,459 × 2,3) ÷ 3 = 0,6105
%

Relative uncertainty on the movement sensor → uc = 0.04

Relative uncertainty on measurement device of the shim thickness → uh = 0.05

Composed uncertainties on the stress of the sample 1,

u= ur ² + uc ² + uh ²

u1 = 1.056² + (0.04 + 0.6 × 0.459 )² + (0.05 × 0.6 × 0.459)² = 1.056

um = 0.6105² + (0.04 × 0.6 × 0.459 )² + (0.05 × 0.6 × 0.459 )² = 0.61

Widened individual uncertainty Ue = u x 2

Ue = 1.056 x 2 = 2.112 Uem = 0.610 x 2 = 1.22

Expression of results

Sample 1: 12.71 ± 2.11 %

Sample 2: 13.49 ± 2.11 % Average 3 samples: 12.96 ± 1.22 %
Sample 3: 12.68 ± 2.11 %

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