It is common for rubber parts to be exposed to fluids where the rubber needs to perform for extended periods of time. Certain rubbers resistant certain fluids better than others. For this reason it is critical to be able to test the resistance of rubbers to understand how different compounds would perform in different conditions. In our lab we have chemists that do immersion tests of rubber samples in specific fluids depending on the application where the product is going to be used for a specific amount of time.
Physical properties are taken before and after this aging test to see how the physical properties of the rubber are affected by the fluid being tested. The common specification for this test that we use is ASTM D471. Common fluids that we do this immersion test with include: IRM 901 oil, IRM 902 oil, IRM 903 oil, glycol, water, transmission fluid, fuel B, fuel C, fuel D, service fluid 101,
