Analysis of whitening phenomenon of EPDM article by humid aging

An ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer (EPDM) article used for a car component was aged in 80°C humid air (60% relative humidity) for 30 days and in 80°C tap water for 7 days. The aged sample surfaces were changed to white. The aged sample surfaces were analyzed using GC/MS, image analyzer, SEM, EDX, and ATR‐FTIR. Calcium stearate was found on the aged sample surface. To confirm the whitening phenomenon, three sulfur‐cured EPDM composites with different reinforcing systems (talc/carbon black, calcium carbonate/carbon black, and clay/carbon black) and one resole‐cured EPDM composite were prepared and aged in 90°C tap water for 7 days. The sulfur‐cured EPDM composites contained stearic acid, whereas the resole‐cured EPDM composite did not contain stearic acid. Whitening occurred in the sulfur‐cured EPDM samples irrespective of the filler systems but the aged resole‐cured EPDM composite surface was not changed. The whitening was due to the formation of calcium stearate as a result of reaction between calcium cation and stearic acid. The calcium cation came from humid air and tap water, while the stearic acid came from the sulfur‐cured EPDM samples. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012