Year
2010
Abstract
This paper shows evaluation of the long-time mechanical behavior of selected rubber O-rings for transport package by experiment and FEM numerical simulation. We applied a concept of the accelerated thermal aging tests to the experimental evaluation. The concept of the thermal accelerating test is that rather higher temperature than real one is applied to the specimen though the duration time is shorter the real situation. This method is based on that progress of the plastic deformation and stress relaxation of rubber follows the Arrhenius equation. From the result of accelerated thermal aging tests of the rubber O-ring, it can be concluded that the rubber O-ring which is used in real packages, will keep its integrity, at least, for five years at temperature at 70 ? C . Additionally, the FEM analysis was applied to the numerical simulation to predict the compression set of an EPDM Orings. The nonlinear visco-elastic model was applied to the material modeling. The material moduli of hyperelasticity were obtained by the tensile test of EPDM O-rings. The material moduli of viscous relaxation were obtained by stress relaxation tests of the O-rings in high temperature chamber