Rubber Elastomeres-Failure Analysis

Common Causes Of Failure
In Elastomers …..
Gary S. Crutchley BSc (hons)
Lead Consultant
Polymer Consultancy Group
Smithers Rapra Technology
1
Failure
Why do we need to know how

rubber materials fail?
2
2
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.
3
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.
4
Failure
Common Causes Of Rubber

Component Failure
5
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%
6
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
7
Failure
Human Causes
8
Failure
Human Causes
1. Incorrect Material
9
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.
10
1
Failure
11
Human Causes
2. Poor Product Design
11
1
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?
12
1
Failure
Human Causes
3. Poor Material Processing
13
1
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.
14
1
Failure
Human Causes
4. Product Abuse
15
1
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.
16
1
Example – Hot Water Bottle
Product abuse can be dangerous!
17
1
Example – Engine Mount & Truck Tyre
Engine Mount Truck Tyre

Diesel
18
1
Failure
Service Related Failures
19
1
Failure

1. Chemical Attack
20
2
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.
21
2 © Smithers Rapra 2010

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.
22

Service Related Failures – Chemical Attack
23
Examples of chemical attack:
Degradation of a
butterfly valve seal
by chlorine
containing species
23

Examples of chemical attack:

Degradation of
a NR/CR pipe
expansion
joint by metal
ion
accelerated
thermo-
oxidation.
24

Failure

2. Heat
25
2
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.
26

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
27

Failure

3. Fatigue
28
2
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
29

Failure

4. Abrasion
30
3
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.
31

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
32

Failure

5. Tear
33
3
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
34

Failure

6. Set
35
3
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
36

Service Related Failures - Set 37
Examples of compression set:
Tap washer Soft drink bottle seal c.1918
37

Failure

7. UV Attack
38
3
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
39
3
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
40
4
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
41
4
Service Related Failures – UV Attack
Examples of UV Attack
42
4
Failure

8. Ozone Attack
43
4
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
44

• 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.
45

Example of Ozone Attack:

• A basketball exposed to the atmosphere for a number of
months.
• Material is under strain.
46

Example of Ozone Attack:

• A golf club grip.
• Material is under strain, cracks at 90º to the
strain direction.
47

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: gcrutchley@rapra.net
48

Rubber Elastomeres-Failure Analysis

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Common Causes Of Failure

Gary S. Crutchley BSc (hons)

Why do we need to know how

• When failures occur, those involved understandably do not wish

• Diagnosticians investigating failures are often prevented from

• Opportunities for learning from previous mistakes is limited.

• Knowledge and skills required to diagnose failure not generally

Prevent future failures by understanding the cause

Avoid the costs associated with product failure.

Common Causes Of Rubber

Reason for Failure

Common Service Related Causes Of Failure

Note: UV attack can be an issue with elastomers

Material Selection Is No Simple Task!

• Need to match the application to

• Incorrect material selection is one

? Select the most appropriate material

? What are the material’s property limits?

Don’t Engineer-In Product Failure!

• Even if we select the correct

• We need to consider material

• It can result from many factors

Product designers not understanding

Users who do not understand the

Product abuse can be dangerous!

Engine Mount Truck Tyre

Service Related Failures

Service Related Failures

• There are a large number of

• The severity and effect

2 © Smithers Rapra 2010

When considering an elastomer for an application, we

Polymer chain scission leading to molecular

Increased cross linking of the matrix.

Polymer chain modification as a result of

2 © Smithers Rapra 2010

Examples of chemical attack:

2 © Smithers Rapra 2010

Examples of chemical attack:

2 © Smithers Rapra 2010

Service Related Failures

• Thermal degradation is highly complex, depending on the material

• As the temperature increases, the rate of reaction of rubber

• This principle applies to elastomers operating in oxygen

• Excessive exposure to heat leads a deterioration in material

2 © Smithers Rapra 2010

Example of the effect of heat: SBR rubber shock

• Internal heat build

•Not visible externally

2 © Smithers Rapra 2010

Service Related Failures

• Can be affected by design

• Micro cracks start at flaws in

• Cracks propagate through

2 © Smithers Rapra 2010

Service Related Failures

• It is a highly complex process.

• Often loosely described as

• Abrasion involves the removal

3 © Smithers Rapra 2010

• Abrasion is a function of the

• Types of abrasion are:

Abrasive - Hard asperities cutting the rubber