F2010C046
Electro-chemical Degradation Analysis of a Coolant Rubber Hose for Automotive Radiator
Coolant rubber hoses for automobile radiators under thermal and mechanical loadings can be degraded and thus failed due to the influences of the locally formed electricity. In this study, for carbon black filled EPDM (ethylene-propylene dine monomer) rubber used as a radiator hose, crosslink density measurement was established so that the aging behaviors of the skin part due to electro-chemical stresses were analyzed. As a result of the electro-chemical degradation (ECD), the weight of rubber specimens increased whereas their elongation and hardness much decreased because water solution penetrated into the skin part. There was little change in crosslink density. Formation of many chain scissions and thus microvoid networks in the skin layer induced the swelling behavior leading to a linear reduction of hardness versus the weight increase.
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Poster presentation: Test, simulation and calculation methods of vehicles and components