Ozone Testing
Ozone Testing
Ozone testing is used to evaluate the performance of rubbers and elastomers in the presence of ozone (trioxygen and inorganic in nature) and to study the resistance of a particular material to ozone degradation. Rubbers/elastomers under strain are more vulnerable to the ozone attack. Automotive industries accommodate polymeric housing of engines and several other polymeric components so ozone testing is necessary to evaluate the performance of the component in service. So, potential damage by ozone is considered one of the most important factors for the degradation of a material’s properties. It can lead to product failure and rejections at the disbursement of the brand/company name.
In ozone testing, the elastomer/polymer is placed in a specialized chamber and exposed to the ozone. The concentration and duration of the ozone exposure will be as per standards or testing specifications. Ozone reacts with the double and triple bonds of the rubbers and causes cracking. Styrene-butadiene rubber, natural rubber, polybutadiene, and nitrile rubbers need to be studied before utilizing any component as these rubbers show an adverse impact of ozone. Saturated rubber polymers are less affected by ozone because unsaturated rubbers contain unsaturated double and triple bonds. As already discussed, the attacking rate of ozone on double and triple bonds is sufficiently high which in turn breakdown the bonds and cause cracking.
Video 01: Ozone testing chamber
Common Uses of Ozone Testing
- This technique is used to evaluate the performance of rubber in service.
Advantages of Ozone Testing
- As it is carried out at a predetermined rate, a pass or fail condition can be established for specific materials under a known environment.
- Crack growth rate can also be determined which will give an insight into how long will that material stand before failure and what is the rate of deterioration for that material.
Industrial Applications of Ozone Testing
- Ozone testing is carried out for thermoplastic rubber, vulcanized rubber, cable insulating brush, and also static tensile deformation can be done in the ozone chamber as per need.
