Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Elastomer shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Elastomer offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Elastomer at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Elastomer? Wrong! If the Elastomer is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Elastomer then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Elastomer? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Elastomer and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Elastomer wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Elastomer then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Elastomer site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Elastomer, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Elastomer, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
The term
elastomer is often used interchangeably with the term
rubber, and is preferred when referring to
vulcanization. Elastomer comes from two terms,
elastic (describing the ability of a material to return to its original shape when a load is removed) and
mer (from
polymer, in which
poly means
many and
mer means
parts). Each link of the chain is the "-mer" or basic unit that is usually made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and/or silicon. To make the chain, many links or "-mers" are hooked or polymerized together. They are amorphous polymers existing above their glass transition temperature, so that considerable segmental motion is possible. At ambient temperatures rubbers are thus relatively soft (
Young's modulus~3MPa) and deformable. Their primary uses are for
Seal (mechanical)s, adhesives and molded flexible parts.
Background
Elastomers are usually
thermosets (requiring vulcanization) but may also be thermoplastic (see
thermoplastic elastomer). The long polymer chains
cross-link during curing. The molecular structure of elastomers can be imagined as a 'spaghetti and meatball' structure, with the meatballs signifying cross-links. The elasticity is derived from the ability of the long chains to reconfigure themselves to distribute an applied stress. The covalent cross-linkages ensure that the elastomer will return to its original configuration when the stress is removed. As a result of this extreme flexibility, elastomers can reversibly extend from 5-700%, depending on the specific material. Without the cross-linkages or with short, uneasily reconfigured chains, the applied stress would result in a permanent deformation.
Temperature effects are also present in the demonstrated elasticity of a polymer. Elastomers that have cooled to a glassy or crystalline phase will have less mobile chains, and consequentially less elasticity, than those manipulated at temperatures higher than the glass transition temperature of the polymer.
It is also possible for a polymer to exhibit elasticity that is not due to covalent cross-links, but instead for Thermodynamic_theory_of_polymer_elasticity.
Mathematic justifications
Using the laws of thermodynamics, stress definitions and polymer characteristics (complete derivation in , pages103-105), we find ideal stress behavior:
\sigma\ = n k T \lambda\ _ 1 ^ 2 + \lambda\ _ 1 ^ {-1}
where n is the number of chain segments per unit volume, k is Boltzmann's Constant, T is temperature, and \lambda\ _ 1 is distortion in the 1 direction.
These findings are accurate for values of up to approximately 400% strain. At this point, alignment between stretched chains begins to result in crystallization from noncovalent bonding.
While
Young's Modulus does not exist for elastomers due to the nonlinear nature of the stress-strain relationship, a "secant modulus" can be found at a particular strain.
Examples of elastomers
Unsaturated rubbers that can be cured by sulfur vulcanization:
- Natural Rubber (NR)
- Synthetic Polyisoprene (IR)
- Butyl rubber (copolymer of isobutylene and isoprene, IIR)
- Halogenated butyl rubbers (Chloro Butyl Rubber: CIIR; Bromo Butyl Rubber: BIIR)
- Polybutadiene (BR)
- Styrene-butadiene Rubber (copolymer of polystyrene and polybutadiene, SBR)
- Nitrile Rubber (copolymer of polybutadiene and acrylonitrile, NBR), also called Plastic#Synthetic rubber
- Hydrogenated Nitrile Rubbers (HNBR) Therban® and Zetpol®
- Chloroprene Rubber (CR), polychloroprene, Neoprene, Baypren etc.
(Note that unsaturated rubbers can also be cured by non-sulfur vulcanization if desired).
Saturated Rubbers that cannot be cured by sulfur vulcanization:
- EPM (ethylene propylene rubber, a copolymer of ethylene and propylene) and EPDM rubber (ethylene propylene diene rubber, a terpolymer of ethylene, propylene and a diene-component)
- Epichlorohydrin rubber (ECO)
- Polyacrylic rubber (ACM, ABR)
- Silicone rubber (SI, Q, VMQ)
- Fluorosilicone Rubber (FVMQ)
- Fluoroelastomers (FKM, and FEPM) Viton®, Tecnoflon®, Fluorel®, Aflas and Dai-El®
- Perfluoroelastomers (FFKM) Kalrez®
- Polyether Block Amides (PEBA)
- Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene (CSM), (Hypalon®)
- Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)
Various other types of elastomers:
- Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE), for example Hytrel®, etc.
- Thermoplastic Vulcanizates (TPV), for example Santoprene® TPV
- Polyurethane rubber
- The proteins resilin and elastin
- Polysulfide Rubber
References
- Treloar L.R.G., The Physics of Rubber Elasticity, Oxford University Press, 1975. ISBN 0-19-85027-9.
- Meyers and Chawla. Mechanical Behaviors of Materials, Prentice Hall, Inc. (Pearson Education) 1999.
- Budinski, Kenneth G., Budinski, Michael K., Engineering Materials: Properties and Selection, 7th Ed, 2002. ISBN 0-13-030533-2.
The term
elastomer is often used interchangeably with the term
rubber, and is preferred when referring to
vulcanization. Elastomer comes from two terms,
elastic (describing the ability of a material to return to its original shape when a load is removed) and
mer (from
polymer, in which
poly means
many and
mer means
parts). Each link of the chain is the "-mer" or basic unit that is usually made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and/or silicon. To make the chain, many links or "-mers" are hooked or polymerized together. They are
amorphous polymers existing above their glass transition temperature, so that considerable segmental motion is possible. At ambient temperatures rubbers are thus relatively soft (Young's modulus~3MPa) and deformable. Their primary uses are for
Seal (mechanical)s,
adhesives and molded flexible parts.
Background
Elastomers are usually thermosets (requiring vulcanization) but may also be thermoplastic (see thermoplastic elastomer). The long polymer chains cross-link during curing. The molecular structure of elastomers can be imagined as a 'spaghetti and meatball' structure, with the meatballs signifying cross-links. The elasticity is derived from the ability of the long chains to reconfigure themselves to distribute an applied stress. The covalent cross-linkages ensure that the elastomer will return to its original configuration when the stress is removed. As a result of this extreme flexibility, elastomers can reversibly extend from 5-700%, depending on the specific material. Without the cross-linkages or with short, uneasily reconfigured chains, the applied stress would result in a permanent deformation.
Temperature effects are also present in the demonstrated elasticity of a polymer. Elastomers that have cooled to a glassy or crystalline phase will have less mobile chains, and consequentially less elasticity, than those manipulated at temperatures higher than the glass transition temperature of the polymer.
It is also possible for a polymer to exhibit elasticity that is not due to covalent cross-links, but instead for Thermodynamic_theory_of_polymer_elasticity.
Mathematic justifications
Using the laws of thermodynamics, stress definitions and polymer characteristics (complete derivation in , pages103-105), we find ideal stress behavior:
\sigma\ = n k T \lambda\ _ 1 ^ 2 + \lambda\ _ 1 ^ {-1}
where n is the number of chain segments per unit volume, k is Boltzmann's Constant, T is temperature, and \lambda\ _ 1 is distortion in the 1 direction.
These findings are accurate for values of up to approximately 400% strain. At this point, alignment between stretched chains begins to result in crystallization from
noncovalent bonding.
While
Young's Modulus does not exist for elastomers due to the nonlinear nature of the stress-strain relationship, a "secant modulus" can be found at a particular strain.
Examples of elastomers
Unsaturated rubbers that can be cured by sulfur vulcanization:
- Natural Rubber (NR)
- Synthetic Polyisoprene (IR)
- Butyl rubber (copolymer of isobutylene and isoprene, IIR)
- Halogenated butyl rubbers (Chloro Butyl Rubber: CIIR; Bromo Butyl Rubber: BIIR)
- Polybutadiene (BR)
- Styrene-butadiene Rubber (copolymer of polystyrene and polybutadiene, SBR)
- Nitrile Rubber (copolymer of polybutadiene and acrylonitrile, NBR), also called Plastic#Synthetic rubber
- Hydrogenated Nitrile Rubbers (HNBR) Therban® and Zetpol®
- Chloroprene Rubber (CR), polychloroprene, Neoprene, Baypren etc.
(Note that unsaturated rubbers can also be cured by non-sulfur vulcanization if desired).
Saturated Rubbers that cannot be cured by sulfur vulcanization:
- EPM (ethylene propylene rubber, a copolymer of ethylene and propylene) and EPDM rubber (ethylene propylene diene rubber, a terpolymer of ethylene, propylene and a diene-component)
- Epichlorohydrin rubber (ECO)
- Polyacrylic rubber (ACM, ABR)
- Silicone rubber (SI, Q, VMQ)
- Fluorosilicone Rubber (FVMQ)
- Fluoroelastomers (FKM, and FEPM) Viton®, Tecnoflon®, Fluorel®, Aflas and Dai-El®
- Perfluoroelastomers (FFKM) Kalrez®
- Polyether Block Amides (PEBA)
- Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene (CSM), (Hypalon®)
- Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)
Various other types of elastomers:
- Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE), for example Hytrel®, etc.
- Thermoplastic Vulcanizates (TPV), for example Santoprene® TPV
- Polyurethane rubber
- The proteins resilin and elastin
- Polysulfide Rubber
References
- Treloar L.R.G., The Physics of Rubber Elasticity, Oxford University Press, 1975. ISBN 0-19-85027-9.
- Meyers and Chawla. Mechanical Behaviors of Materials, Prentice Hall, Inc. (Pearson Education) 1999.
- Budinski, Kenneth G., Budinski, Michael K., Engineering Materials: Properties and Selection, 7th Ed, 2002. ISBN 0-13-030533-2.
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Elastomer Contacts
Elastomer Products Ltd Christchurch division 230 Maces Road, Bromley, Christchurch Postal: PO BOX 19 577, Christchurch, NEW ZEALAND Tel: +64 3 389 2125
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