Effect of thermal ageing on mechanical behavior of synthetic and natural rubber dominated short flat bars

The present research is an attempt to investigate the effect of thermal ageing on the mechanical properties and behavior of short flat bars of two different rubber materials. The synthetic and natural rubber dominated flat-bar samples are derived from two practical rubber structures, namely, bearing pad and vehicular tire, respectively. Series of experiments are conducted to investigate the mechanical properties of the rubber materials subjected to accelerated thermal ageing at different temperatures ranging from –20°C to 150°C, which has been realized by maintaining an isothermal heating/cooling in an electric furnace for a period of 24 hours. The thermal ageing effect on the mechanical behavior of short flat bars of two different rubber materials is also analyzed under the influence of tensile and flexural loadings. Results of the present investigation show that, not only the mechanical properties but also the corresponding behavior of the rubber bars are influenced quite significantly by the treatment of accelerated thermal ageing.