자동차 냉각기 호스용 EPDM 고무의 복합 가속수명 평가

Abstract

Coolant rubber hoses for automotive radiators can be degraded due to the influences of the locally formed electricity. In this study, we developed a test apparatus for rubber materials under combined electro-chemical stresses together with the simultaneous application of mechanical and thermal loads. Changing behaviors of the current and the resistance as a function of aging time were analyzed in consideration of tensile strains and aging temperature. The investigation on the sectioned specimens clarified failure mechanisms in the aged skin layer under the combined electro-chemical stresses. This study suggested some approximate predictions of accelerated life through an Arrhenius formula considering the aging temperature and mechanical strains.