Ozone Cracking: Identifying Environmental Stress vs. Chemical Attack.

Ozone Cracking: Identifying Environmental Stress vs. Chemical Attack

Problem Statement

Ozone cracking in rubber components often leads to premature failure. Misdiagnosis between environmental stress and chemical attack results in incorrect material selection and compromised performance.

Material Science Analysis

Ozone attacks unsaturated polymers like NBR and SBR at the double bonds, causing surface cracks. FKM and EPDM resist ozone due to their saturated backbones. Fluorine content in FKM enhances chemical resistance, while EPDM's ethylene-propylene structure provides superior ozone stability.

Technical Specs

• FKM: Shore A Hardness 70-90, Tensile Strength 15-20 MPa, Elongation at Break 150-250%, Temperature Range -20°C to 200°C.
• EPDM: Shore A Hardness 50-90, Tensile Strength 10-15 MPa, Elongation at Break 300-600%, Temperature Range -50°C to 150°C.
• NBR: Shore A Hardness 40-90, Tensile Strength 10-25 MPa, Elongation at Break 200-600%, Temperature Range -30°C to 120°C.

Technical Comparison Table

Material	Ozone Resistance	Chemical Resistance	Compression Set (%)	Temperature Range (°C)
FKM	Excellent	Excellent	15-25	-20 to 200
EPDM	Excellent	Good	20-30	-50 to 150
NBR	Poor	Fair	25-35	-30 to 120

Standard Compliance

RubberQ adheres to IATF 16949 standards for batch-to-batch consistency. Our in-house compounding ensures precise control of polymer ratios, fillers, and curing agents. Materials comply with ASTM D2000 for material callouts and ISO 3601 for sealing performance.

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