Low temperature tests

The low temperature properties of rubber materials are important in colder climates, such as that encountered in Scandinavia. The requirements for these properties have since long been included in specifications, especially those of the automotive industry.

There are a number of test methods in use, the most common methods in Scandinavia is the Temperature Retraction Procedure, also known as the TR-test. Another low temperature test is the Gehman test which measures the stiffness (modulus) at a range of temperatures.

A problem with both these methods is that they are both very time consuming to perform however this is eliminated with automated instruments.

Methods for determining the properties of a rubber material at low temperature:

• ISO 812   The Brittleness test determines the lowest temperature at which rubber materials do not exhibit brittle failure when impacted under specified conditions
• ISO 815-2   The Low Temperature Compression Set measures the elastic recovery after a test piece has been held compressed at low temperature for some time
• ISO 1432   The Gehman test measures the relative stiffness as a function of the temperature
• ISO 2921   The TR test determines the low temperature characteristics by the temperature retraction procedure
• ISO 3387   Increase in Hardness measures the change in hardness of the rubber at low temperature
• ISO 6471   Determination of crystallisation
• ISO 4664-1   Dynamic mechanical analysis, DMA, determines the modulus as a function of the temperature

Read more in our Technical reports here