Engineering Data
Document Number E116
Immersion Tests
The amount of volumetric swelling is a valuable
guide in determining whether or not an elastomer is
suitable for use in a particular environment. Other
physical properties may also be measured which will
indicate the compatibility of an elastomer with an
environment such as: the percent of elongation retained,
change of hardness, and change in surface condition.
At EnviroTech Pumpsystems, all these effects are
considered when a customer’s inquiry is received for
which we have no previous experience. The procedure
for a 28 day immersion test in a customer’s plant is as
follows:
1. Two tensile slabs are cured for each compound to be
evaluated.
2. One set of tensile slabs (Master Tensile Slabs) are
filed and retained in the laboratory. These are tested
for tensile, elongation, and hardness at the same time
the returned immersed tensile slabs are tested.
3. The other tensile slab is then provided with
1
/8” hole in the center of the rib area, for suspending
in the customer’s system. If there is more than one
tensile slab, identification holes may be punched in
the reinforcement rib area of the tensile slab. These
holes are punched in the tensile slab using a No. 386
Sargent Spring Leather Belt Punch. The volume is
determined on a customer’s tensile slab in the
following manner:
a. Weight in air (grams).
b. Weight in water (grams).
c. Calculations: Volume = a-b
Note: A diagram of the apparatus will be included
with this report. This same equipment is used at
EnviroTech Pumpsystems for determining specific
gravities of tensile slabs. The procedure is the same as for
the volume with one additional calculation:
M Weight ⋅ in ⋅ air
SG = ---- = -----------------------------------
V Volume
4. The tensile slabs are then mailed to the customer
with a cover letter requesting the slabs be immersed
for a period of 28 days, if possible. Also, since
weights and volumes have been determined on these
slabs, it is important to ask the customer not to
remove any material from the slabs.
5. When the tensile slabs are received from the
customer, after immersion, the following steps are
taken.
a. Weight in air (grams).
b. Weight in water (grams).
c. Note any change in surface condition.
d. Remove the master tensile slab from the
laboratory file and run hardness, tensile and
elongation tests on both the master tensile slab
and the customer’s immersed sample.
From the data obtained in the previous steps the
following report is made to the customer: Percent volume
change, percent tensile strength retained, percent
elongation retained, points hardness change, any change
in surface condition and the elastomer selection.
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