Description: 

Ozone aging is a technique to test the rubber product’s resistance to aging by accelerating the aging process of rubber by exposing it to ozone by means of environment simulation for the characteristic that rubber is sensitive to ozone.

Principle: 

Ozone, although present in very low concentrations in the atmosphere, has strong destructive power on plastic materials. It can chemically react with the unsaturated bonds and reducible groups in the chemical structure of plastics, leading to oxidative degradation and loss of value. Ozone aging tests are usually conducted in ozone aging test chambers. Ozone is generated by an ozone generator and its concentration can be adjusted by mixing it with air using a mixer. The ozone concentration is typically determined based on the actual environmental conditions in which the material will be used. The temperature and humidity inside the ozone aging chamber can also be adjusted to achieve the desired test conditions and understand the ozone aging behavior and patterns of the material.

Significance: 

With the rapid development of industrial technology, the rubber industry has seen significant growth in recent years. In our daily lives, rubber products such as plastic toys, rubber gloves, and adhesive tapes have added a lot of convenience. Rubber not only provides essential light industrial rubber products for daily and medical use but also supplies various rubber consumer equipment or rubber components to heavy industries and emerging industries such as transportation, construction, machinery, and electronics. In the industrial field, rubber is used in bridge construction for shock absorption, sealing of automotive components, and conductivity in electronic products.

Factors that contribute to problems in rubber production include temperature, humidity, light exposure, and ozone. In order to assess the weathering resistance of ozone products, the damaging effects of temperature and humidity on materials have been a subject of concern. Various corrosive gases generated by the growing industrial activities are mixed in the air, such as ozone, which poses a severe challenge to materials or products. Ozone can cause rubber products to crack, degrade, powder, or become hardened.

With the development of industry, the use of ozone weathering tests is increasing. Ozone aging test chambers are commonly used for rubber products such as vulcanized rubber, thermoplastic rubber, cable insulation, and other similar products. Under static tensile deformation, the samples are exposed to air with a constant ozone concentration in a closed, non-illuminated chamber at a constant temperature. The samples are tested after a predetermined time, and the level of cracks or other changes in the appearance of the samples is evaluated. The ozone aging test chamber is used to scientifically and reasonably conduct aging and cracking tests on non-metallic materials and rubber products to assess the ozone aging resistance of rubber. It provides a solid scientific basis for the selection and improvement of new products by humans.

Image of Testing Equipment: