In-House Lab Capabilities: From Rheometers to Tensile Testing Machines.

In-House Lab Capabilities: From Rheometers to Tensile Testing Machines

Problem Statement

Rubber components in EV battery cooling systems require precise material characterization. Off-the-shelf compounds often fail due to inconsistent cure kinetics or poor compression set resistance under thermal cycling (150°C to -40°C).

Material Science Analysis

Standard EPDM grades degrade in glycol-based coolants due to insufficient crosslink density. RubberQ's in-house compounded HNBR (36% acrylonitrile content) resists swelling (<5% volume change) via optimized peroxide curing systems. The lab verifies this through:

• MDR rheometry (ASTM D5289) to track scorch time (t_s2) and cure rate
• FTIR spectroscopy to confirm fluorine content in FKM batches
• DSC analysis for Tg and thermal stability thresholds

Technical Specs

• Shore A Hardness: 70±5 (ISO 7619-1)
• Tensile Strength: ≥18 MPa (ASTM D412)
• Elongation at Break: 250-300%
• Temperature Range: -50°C to +175°C continuous
• Compression Set (22h @ 150°C): ≤15% (ASTM D395 Method B)

Parameter	HNBR (RubberQ Custom)	Standard EPDM	Generic FKM
Glycol Resistance (70°C x 168h)	ΔV +3.2%	ΔV +22%	ΔV +8.5%
Tear Strength (kN/m)	45	28	38
Compression Set @ 175°C	18%	45%	25%
Cost Index	1.8x	1.0x	2.5x

Standard Compliance

RubberQ's IATF 16949-certified lab enforces:

• Daily torque rheometer calibration per ISO 9001
• ASTM D2000 material lot traceability
• ISO 3601-1 leak testing for seal validation

For custom material compound development or IATF 16949 documentation, consult RubberQ's engineering department.