Premium
Material morphology and electrical resistivity differences in EPDM rubbers
Author(s) -
Domeier Linda A.,
Yang Nancy
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.28984
Subject(s) - gasket , materials science , whiskers , composite material , natural rubber , vulcanization , zinc , compression set , whisker , electrical resistivity and conductivity , contact angle , metallurgy , electrical engineering , engineering
Electrical resistance anomalies noted in EPDM gaskets have been attributed to zinc‐enriched surface sublayers, about 10‐μm thick, in the sulfur cured rubber material. Gasket over‐compression provided the necessary connector pin contact and was also found to cause surprising morphological changes on the gasket surfaces. These included distributions of zinc oxide whiskers in high pressure gasket areas and cone‐shaped features rich in zinc, oxygen, and sulfur primarily in low pressure protruding gasket areas. Such whiskers and cones were only found on the pin side of the gaskets in contact with a molded plastic surface and not on the back side in contact with an aluminum surface. The mechanisms by which such features are formed have not yet been defined. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008