Optimization of Wear Parameters Considering Specific Energy Equivalence during Two-body Abrasion of 'EPDM' Rubber

• Published in: Journal for Manufacturing Science and Production 2013-12, Vol.13 (4), p.233
• Main Author: Mukhopadhyay, Abhijit
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Design of experiments; Elastomers; Energy; Engineering; Laboratories; Load; Materials research; Mechanical engineering; Optimization techniques; Rubber; Rubber industry; Studies; Wear resistance
• ISSN: 0793-6648; 2191-0375
• DOI: 10.1515/jmsp-2013-0002

With several renewed and advanced researches in the recent past rubber, a viscoelastic material, emerges as a very suitable and important material for various engineering and other applications. EPDM rubber, one of the dominant elastomer, has a major application as seal in automobile doors, windows and other parts along with different other uses. Rubbers, in general have good abrasion resistance. But abrasion will lead to the impairment of the desired function of the components. Thus, the evaluation of abrasion, whatever small may be, is important. In the present work mere mass loss has not been considered as a measure of abrasion. On the contrary, an ideal function, specific energy has been modeled utilizing the concept of grinding operation. Abrasion has been interpreted in terms of specific energy. The modeled ideal function can be interpreted in two different ways. If abrasion, that is, mass loss is to be minimized then the specific energy of the material should have maximum value. Otherwise, from energy perspective, if the energy is to be minimized then more material must have to be removed in a single pass thus maximizing the mass loss. However, in the present work the objective is to understand the operating conditions which will give minimum loss of EPDM rubber when abrasion takes place. This theoretical study is a part of characterization of EPDM rubber from tribological point of view and primarily based on controlled laboratory experimentation conditions. It is need less to be mentioned that in real life applications the noise factors, as have been selected for the study, are beyond control in that sense and thus abrasion of EPDM can't be predicted through this model. However, in case of automated door and window locking system of automobiles, metros etc. this model will have some meaningful application potential.