ASTM_D_3137_-_81_2018.pdf

Designation:D313781(Reapproved 2018)Standard Test Method forRubber PropertyHydrolytic Stability1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D3137;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the U.S.Department of Defense.1.Scope1.1 This test method covers the determination of the abilityof rubber to withstand the environmental effects of highhumidity.This is accomplished by examination of the materialafter removal from the moisture-laden environment.It isdesigned for testing specimens of rubber materials cut fromstandard sheets prepared in accordance with Practice D3182.1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as thestandard.The values given in parentheses are for informationonly.1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety,health,and environmental practices and deter-mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.(For specific precautionary statements,see Note 1.)1.4 This international standard was developed in accor-dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-ization established in the Decision on Principles for theDevelopment of International Standards,Guides and Recom-mendations issued by the World Trade Organization TechnicalBarriers to Trade(TBT)Committee.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2D412 Test Methods for Vulcanized Rubber and Thermoplas-tic ElastomersTensionD573 Test Method for RubberDeterioration in an AirOvenD3040 Practice for Preparing Precision Statements for Stan-dards Related to Rubber and Rubber Testing(Withdrawn1987)3D3182 Practice for RubberMaterials,Equipment,and Pro-cedures for Mixing Standard Compounds and PreparingStandard Vulcanized Sheets3.Summary of Test Method3.1 Test specimens are exposed to the influence of humidenvironments under definite conditions of temperature,humidity,and time for the purpose of measuring the resultinghydrolytic degradation by noting the change in tensile strengthafter exposure over distilled water.4.Significance and Use4.1 Rubber and rubber products for certain applicationsmust withstand the environmental effect of high humidity andresist the deterioration of physical properties under theseconditions with time.This test method allows performanceproperties to be determined under the accelerated conditions ofhigh humidity and elevated temperature.4.2 In view of climatic variations in service conditions,thismethod may not give results correlating exactly with serviceperformance.However,the test method yields comparativedata on which to base judgment as to service quality and it isuseful in research and development work.4.3 This test method is not applicable to coated fabrics;itsuse for materials other than rubber has not been established.5.Test Conditions5.1 TemperatureThe test temperature shall be 85 6 1C(185 6 2F).5.2 Exposure PeriodThe exposure period shall be 96 6 1h.5.3 Conditioning PeriodAfter the specified exposureperiod,the specimens shall be conditioned on a flat surface for16 to 96 h at 50 6 5%relative humidity and 23 6 2C(73.46 3.6F).1This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D11 on Rubberand Rubber-like Materials and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D11.15on Degradation Tests.Current edition approved Aug.1,2018.Published September 2018.Originallyapproved in 1972.Last previous edition approved in 2013 as D3137 81(2013).DOI:10.1520/D3137-81R18.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced onwww.astm.org.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United StatesThis international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for theDevelopment of International Standards,Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade(TBT)Committee.1 6.Procedure6.1 Original Tensile StrengthCut three ASTM dumbbellor ring specimens and condition for at least 3 h at 23 6 2C(73.4 6 3.6F)prior to testing.Determine the original tensilestrength in accordance with Test Methods D412.6.2 Deteriorated Tensile StrengthCut three specimensfrom the same rubber sheet from which specimens were cut forthe original tensile strength.Measure the thickness of eachspecimen and suspend the specimens in a container approxi