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Elastomerdichtungen finden als Bauteil oder Maschinenelement vielseitige Verwendung. Jedoch war trotz ihrer zentralen Bedeutung die untere Temperaturgrenze, bis zu der solche Dichtungen eingesetzt werden können, bisher nicht tiefgehend verstanden. Dieser Umstand erschwert die entsprechende notwendige sicherheitsrelevante Beurteilung. Mit der vorliegenden Arbeit ist deshalb das Ziel verfolgt worden, dass Materialverhalten repräsentativer Elastomerwerkstoffe in Abhängigkeit von der Temperatur zu verstehen und daraus dann abzuleiten, bis zu welcher Temperatur eine daraus hergestellte Dichtung unter Berücksichtigung der jeweiligen Einsatzbedingungen ihre Funktion noch sicher erfüllen kann. Ausgehend von der in der Literatur beschriebenen Aussage, dass eine Dichtung auch unterhalb der „Glasübergangstemperatur“ funktionsfähig ist, wurde der Einfluss des Glas-Gummi-Übergangs auf das Dichtungsversagen untersucht. Zunächst wurden dazu die Glasübergangstemperaturen an einer Vielzahl von Elastomeren mit gebräuchlichen Verfahren bestimmt, um diese mit dem Verhalten der Dichtung vergleichen zu können. Weiterhin wurde im Rahmen der Arbeit eine neue Charakterisierungsmethode des Tieftemperaturverhaltens von Elastomeren entwickelt, die die bisher für Dichtungen eingesetzte Normprüfung des Druckverformungsrests nachstellt. Mit dieser Methode ist im Vergleich zur Normprüfung jedoch eine deutlich schnellere und automatisierbare Untersuchung des Materialverhaltens gegeben. Darüber hinaus ist durch eine modellgestützte Auswertung eine Extrapolation der Messdaten auf zusätzliche Temperaturen möglich, wodurch der experimentelle Aufwand weiter reduziert wird. Zur temperaturabhängigen Charakterisierung des Versagensvorgangs an realen Bauteilen wurde deren Dichtverhalten mittels eines dafür entwickelten Versuchsstandes untersucht. Die festgestellte Abhängigkeit der Versagenstemperatur vom Verpressgrad konnte unter Verwendung der Ergebnisse aller angewandten Charakterisierungsmethoden für die hier untersuchten statisch beanspruchten Dichtungen erklärt werden. Zudem lassen sich aus dem mit Hilfe des Zeit-Temperatur- Superpositionsprinzips gewonnenen Informationen zur Zeitabhängigkeit der Materialeigenschaften auch Aussagen zum Verhalten von dynamisch beanspruchten Dichtungen ableiten. Mit dem Ergebnis der Arbeit zum Verständnis des Verhaltens von Elastomerdichtungen bei tiefen Temperaturen wird die gezielte Beurteilung und Auswahl von sicherheitsrelevanten Dichtsystemen in Zukunft vereinfacht.
Rubbers are widely used as main sealing materials for Containers for low and intermediate level radioactive waste and as additional component to metal seals in spent fuel and high active waste containers. The save enclosure of the radioactive container inventory has to be guaranteed according to legislation and appropriate guidelines for long term storage periods as well as down to temperatures of -40 °C for transportation. Therefore the understanding of failure mechanisms that lead to leakage at low temperatures is necessary to ensure a proper material choice which is certainly also influenced by additional factors as e.g. the aging behavior.
Due to their extreme high hydrogen contents, high molecular weight (HMW-) and ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW-) polyethylene (PE) are a comprehensible choice as neutron radiation shielding material in casks for storage and transport of radioactive materials. But as a direct consequence of inserting radioactive material in such casks, gamma radiation occurs. Hence, the impact of gamma radiation on the molecular structure of polyethylene has to be taken into consideration. Consequently, PE has to withstand any type of gamma radiation induced degradation affecting safety relevant aspects in order to be applicable for long term neutron radiation shielding purposes during the whole storage period (in Germany, for instance, up to 40 years). The scope of our investigation comprises an estimation of the impact of gamma radiation and temperature on the molecular and supra molecular structure of the two types of PE used as neutron radiation shielding cask components. A further point which is worth exploring is to what extent these changes are detectable by conventional analysis methods. Therefore, thermoanalytical measurements were performed such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermo mechanical analysis (TMA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). Additionally optical and weighing methods were applied. With those methods it is possible to detect structural changes in polyethylene induced by exposure to gamma radiation. The observed amounts of changes of the irradiated material are not safety relevant for the application of polyethylene as neutron radiation shielding material; moreover, some properties actually improve via irradiation.
The investigation of low temperature properties of elastomeric sealing materials by means of thermo-analytical methods is a sound way to get information about the glass transition process.
The breakdown temperature of the sealing function of O-ring seals was measured in a component test setup depending on material and degree of compression.
An in depth explanation of the observed component tests behaviour is currently in preparation. It requires the results of thermo-analytical methods and measurements as the compression set (not shown here). With that, a model was developed to describe the correlation between physical material parameters and observed component behaviour.
Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) - due to its high hydrogen content - is used as neutron shielding material in casks for storage and transport of radioactive materials. Besides this, UHMW-PE - as a high-performance polymer - has been used for several years in medical technology due to its excellent slip and wear properties. Due to the special properties of UHMW-PE which result basically from its extreme chain lengths and its high degree of crystallinity, it is predestinated for the aforementioned applications.
In both cases, irradiation and its impact on the molecular structure of polyethylene play an important role. In the first case, irradiation exists as a by-product of inserting the radioactive material in the cask. Hence PE has to withstand any type of degradation affecting safety relevant aspects to be applicable for long term radiation shielding purposes for instance over a period of 40 years. In the second case irradiation is applied deliberately for purposes such as sterilization and crosslinking, leading to partial improvement of the mechanical properties (e.g. fracture toughness, crack propagation resistance, wear resistance) and better Chemical stability.
Specifically concerning their use in the field of medical technology, different types of UHMW-PE have been objects of numerous publications. It is generally accepted that two parallel and competitive processes, based on chain scission and reactions of Ccentered radicals and molecular fragments, occur in PE as a consequence of radiation: radical recombination accounts for crosslinking, together with some disproportionation, formation of low molecular weight fragments, and recrystallization. Furthermore, formation of oxygenated structures in the presence of traces of oxygen is an antagonist of the C-centered radicals. Radiation induced scission preferentially takes place in the amorphous phase and noncrystalline surface of the crystals. It is followed by folding of molecular fragments, crystallinity growth and increased perfection in the crystal lamellae [4, 5]. Chain scission results in shorter polymer molecules, fewer entanglements, and consequently, increased molecular mobility.
The scope of our investigation comprises an estimation of the radiation and thermal impact on the molecular and supra molecular structure of the two types of PE used for neutron shielding cask components. A further point which is worth to explore is to what extent these changes are detectable by thermo-analytical (TA) methods, such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermo Mechanical Analysis (TMA), Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and Thermogravimetry (TG). Additionally FT-IR and solubility measurements have been performed.
In our studies we focused on the UHMW-PE material GUR 4120 which was y irradiated at RT and compared to the untreated material.
The special properties of high molecular weight polyethylene (HMW-PE) and ultra high molecular
weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) result basically from their extreme chain lengths and their high
degree of crystallinity. As high-performance polymers, they are used for a variety of applications.
UHMW-PE in particular is often utilized for endoprothesis (due to its excellent slip and wear
properties) and due to its high hydrogen content as a neutron moderator in casks for storage and
transport of radioactive materials.
To prepare the material for instance for its use as a total joint replacement, it is exposed to radiation
for several reasons, such as sterilization and crosslinking, leading to partial improvement of the
mechanical properties (e.g. fracture toughness, crack propagation resistance, wear resistance) and
better chemical stability.
To be applicable for long term radiation shielding purposes for instance over a period of 40 years,
PE has to withstand any type of degradation affecting safety relevant aspects.
The scope of our investigation comprises an estimation of the radiation impact on the molecular and
supra molecular structure of two types of PE and to what extent these changes are detectable by
thermo-analytical (TA) methods, such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermo
Mechanical Analysis (TMA), Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and Thermo Gravimetric
Analysis (TGA). Additionally FT-IR spectroscopy as well as density and gas sorption
measurements were carried out.
Due to the poor solubility of HMW-PE and UHMW-PE, some classical analytical techniques are
not applicable. But TA-methods represent a feasible approach to detect structural and
morphological features of these materials as well as changes caused by external influences, such as
thermal treatment and/or irradiation. With the combination of the applied TA-techniques it is
possible to distinguish between crosslinking and degradation.
Rubbers are often used for seal applications due to their special material properties and easy use. In many applications the material is exposed to low temperatures during Operation. Therefore it is important to know the material behavior at low temperatures to determine the temperature ränge that allows a Safe Operation of the seal, e.g. in storage and transport Containers for radioactive materials.
The seal function of an elastomer is limited in temperature by the rubber-glass transition during which the material properties change from rubber-like to stiff and glass-like. For a given application this correlation is not trivial and therefore needs an in-depth investigation under consideration of the physical properties and the
application conditions.
In this work different analytical methods are used to characterize the material behavior at low temperature in the ränge of the glass-rubber-transition and are compared with the quality of Operation of a component which is here defined by the detected leakage rate.
EVA is a widely used material for the encapsulation of photovoltaic modules. It melts at elevated temperatures, and seals the module before it is crosslinked at temperatures above 130 °C by a peroxide-initiated crosslinking reaction. EVA has good optical properties necessary for application in solar modules. For process optimization and quality management, a method for the quick and reliable characterization of EVA crosslinking behaviour is of great value. Here, the practicability of ultrasound for online crosslinking monitoring is demonstrated. A sound velocity increase of about 8 m/s during the crosslinking reaction is found. The ultrasound results are compared with rheometer measurements performed with a curemeter typically used for the investigation of rubber crosslinking.
Carbon-fibre prepregs have found widespread use in lightweight applications. They are based on a carbon-fibre fabric impregnated with reactive epoxy resin. Prepreg materials are generally pre-cured so that they have a higher molecular weight than typical resins in order to reduce resin flow, which facilitates storage and later processing properties.
The measurements were carried out using commercially available materials and follow the published DMA investigations of the same material. TMDSC was used to find the correlation between curing conditions, the degree of cure and glass transition temperature. TMDSC has the advantage over standard DSC that it enables better determination of the glass transition temperature, which is often accompanied by an exothermic curing reaction, and thus overshadowed. The influence of the amplitude of temperature modulation was tested in preliminary experiments. For non-cured material a glass transition temperature of approximately 0 °C was determined; whereas for the totally cured material it was approximately 230 °C. The changes in degree of cure, temperature of actual glass transition and post-reaction are given as a function of curing time at 180 °C. The correlation between actual glass transition temperature and degree of cure is derived.
Elastomere werden vielfach als Dichtungsmaterial für verschiedene Anwendungen eingesetzt.
In vielen Bereichen ist die Funktion der Dichtung auch bei tiefen Temperaturen erforderlich. Daher ist das Verständnis des Versagensmechanismus von großer Bedeutung.
Normalerweise werden Elastomere oberhalb ihres Glass-Gummi Umwandlungsbereiches eingesetzt, wobei die minimale Einsatztemperatur nicht exakt definiert ist. Daher ist es sinnvoll, diese untere Temperatureinsatzgrenze in Abhängigkeit von den Materialeigenschaften zu bestimmen. Hierfür werden die Ergebnisse der thermischen Analyse mit den Resultaten des Druckverformungsrests aus einer abgewandelten Messung mit der Dynamisch Mechanischen Analyse (DMA) kombiniert.
Weiterhin werden Ergebnisse von Bauteilversuchen vorgestellt und diskutiert.
Die vorgestellten Untersuchungen wurden zum großen Teil auf Untersuchungen im Rahmen der Dissertation von M. Jaunich durchgeführt.
Für Elastomenwerkstoffe im Allgemeinen und im Bereich der Dichtungstechnik im Besonderen ist der Druckverformungsrest eine wichtige Kenngröße zur Beurteilung der Eignung eines Werkstoffs bzw. der Funktion eines Bauteils. Er ermöglicht eine Einschätzung des zeitabhängigen Rückstellverhaltens eines Werkstoffs nach Deformation. Dieses ist für Dichtungen von besonderer Bedeutung, da der Test deren Einbauzustand nachstellt.
Oft wird er, bei der Prüfung unter erhöhten Temperaturen, zur Beurteilung des Alterungsverhaltens verwendet und kann anhand eines definierten Versagenskriteriums zur Lebensdauerabschätzung eingesetzt werden. Bei tiefen Temperaturen dient er dazu, die limitierende Einsatztemperatur zu bestimmen. Dabei spielt eine Alterung im eigentlichen Sinne nur eine untergeordnete Rolle, wohl aber physikalische Effekte wie Tieftemperaturkristallisation und Glasübergang. Diese Effekte sind weit weniger durch lange Lagerzeiten beeinflusst als die eigentliche Alterung.
Die Versuchsdurchführung unterscheidet sich je nach angewandter Norm und kann einen deutlichen Einfluss auf den Druckverformungsrest haben. Alle standardisierten Methoden sind aufgrund der langen Lagerzeiten relativ langwierig und erfordern das regelmäßige Eingreifen durch den Prüfer. Zusätzlich sehen einige Methoden nur die Bestimmung eines einzelnen Wertes nach einer definierten Zeit vor.
Um die Messungen zu beschleunigen wurde eine Methode entwickelt, die automatisch die erforderlichen Messungen bei mehreren Temperaturen durchführt.
Dazu wird ein Prüfgerät der Dynamisch Mechanischen Analyse verwendet, das kontinuierlich die Deformation während eines frei programmierbaren Temperaturzyklus misst, wodurch eine sehr große Datenmenge verfügbar ist.
Ein Vergleich der neuen Methode mit den Ergebnissen des nach ISO 815 genormten Messprinzips ergibt eine gute Übereinstimmung. Ergebnisse der neuen Methode werden vorgestellt und die Vorzüge der kontinuierlichen Datenerfassung, z.B. für die Materialauswahl, diskutiert.
Die vorgestellten Ergebnisse beziehen sich zum großen Teil auf die in beschriebenen Untersuchungen und Ergebnisse.
Aufgrund ihrer einfachen und zuverlässigen Anwendung werden Elastomere für viele Dichtungsaufgaben eingesetzt. In vielen Anwendungsbereichen, wie z.B. Verkehr, Luftfahrt und Verfahrenstechnik, können während des Einsatzes tiefe Temperaturen auftreten, bei denen die Funktionsfähigkeit der Dichtung erhalten bleiben muss. Daher ist die Untersuchung des Verhaltens von Elastomerdichtungen bei tiefen Temperaturen wichtig, um ihren Temperatureinsatzbereich nach unten abzugrenzen und dadurch einen verlässlichen Betrieb zu sichern. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, den sicheren Einschluss von gefährlichen Gütern unter verschiedenen Umgebungsbedingungen und über lange Zeiten zu ermöglichen bzw. die Materialauswahl entsprechend zu steuern.
Die Messung des dynamischen Speichermoduls mit der Dynamisch-Mechanischen-Analyse ermöglicht einen schnellen Überblick über das temperaturabhängige Verhalten von elastomeren Dichtungsmaterialien. Ein direkter Rückschluss von der so ermittelten Glasübergangstemperatur Tg auf die Versagenstemperatur einer Dichtung ist aber ohne zusätzliche Messungen bisher nicht möglich.
Mit den Ergebnissen des Druckverformungsrestes DVR und des DVRDMA ist eine ge-nauere Beschreibung der Tieftemperatureigenschaften und dadurch der Funktion von elastomeren Dichtungsmaterialien möglich. Messungen ergeben beispielsweise, dass sich das EPDM bei einer Temperatur von -40 °C laut der Dynamisch Mechanischen Analyse noch im gummielastischen Bereich befindet. Die DVRDMA-Werte zeigen eine Rückstellung um mehr als 40 % der Ausgangsdeformation in wenigen Minuten.
Mit derart detailliert bestimmten Eigenschaften lassen sich Rückschlüsse auf einsatzspezifische Anforderungen wie z. B. die Dichtwirkung in Abhängigkeit von Betriebstemperatur und mechanischer Belastungsgeschwindigkeit ziehen, so dass je nach Einsatzbedingungen für die Dichtungen eine geeignete Materialauswahl getrof-fen werden kann.
Two types of commercially applied Ethylene/Vinyl Acetate Copolymers (EVA) for encapsulation of photovoltaic modules were investigated by the thermal analysis methods of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) in the temperature range from -150 °C to 200 °C. Glass transition, crystal melting and cross-linking were analyzed. The aims of the investigations were to gain more information for incoming goods control and to get information about the whole temperature dependent material properties in the investigated temperature range, starting at very low temperatures up to the crosslinking temperature region.
The method for the determination of compression set values with a Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) setup at low temperatures, which was presented previously, allows a much faster and readily automated procedure than the standardized compression set test according to ISO 815-2. This method is applied to a series of different elastomeric materials that are commonly used for sealing applications. The results of the compression set test are compared with results from thermal analysis to allow an in depth comparison of the material behaviour at low temperatures.
Furthermore, a comparison between two EPDM materials is presented. These materials show very similar properties determined by thermo analytical methods such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) but differ clearly in their compression set behaviour. This comparison shows the importance and value of information of the compression set test in addition to thermal analysis to judge the behaviour of sealing materials and confirms the relevance of the new compression set test method for the investigation of low temperature properties of elastomers.
Tieftemperaturverhalten und Alterung von Elastomerdichtungen - Aktuelle Tätigkeiten und Ziele
(2012)
Fracture mechanics approaches are increasingly applied for the characterization of epoxy resin and adhesive mechanical properties. Therefore, the fracture toughness and crack resistance under static load ISO 13586 [1] are often regarded as state of the art to analyse material improvements. However, experimental investigations on fatigue behaviour, thus the crack propagation according to ISO 15850 [2], seem to be much more sensitive to characterize the materials for in service loading conditions. Firstly, an efficient testing concept was developed at BAM. In this framework, the geometry for a modified single edge notched tensile specimen (SET) was developed in order to assure appropriate resolution in measuring the crack length via a CCD-camera [3]. In the next step, the influence of the cure temperature on the fracture-mechanical properties was investigated.
Partial discharges may cause damage to electrical insulation of high voltage equipment. They initiate elastic waves in the insulating material, e.g. in the stress cone of an outdoor termination. Localisation of the origin of such elastic waves can help to predict serious damaging processes in the electrical insulation. In order to measure and evaluate the wave propagation effects in typical multilayered elastomeric structures, knowledge of the material properties is required. The propagating velocity and the attenuation of longitudinal waves are important parameters. Values for these quantities found in the literature were not appropriate. Therefore, for cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) and cured liquid silicone rubber (LSR), the longitudinal wave velocity and the attenuation were evaluated in the temperature interval from -20°C to 50°C and in the frequency range from 200 kHz to 600 kHz using a two-sample ultrasound technique. The loss factor was determined from these measured quantities. Additionally, low frequency Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA) was applied to investigate LSR and XLPE in a temperature interval between -100 and 50°C and to check qualitatively the ultrasound data.
To achieve the required tightness levels of Containers for low and intermediate level radioactive wastes rubbers are widely applied as main sealing materials. The save encapsulation of the radioactive Container contents has to be guaranteed according to legislation and appropriate guidelines for long storage periods as well as down to temperatures of-40 °C during transportation.
Therefore the understanding of failure mechanisms that lead to leakage at low temperatures is of high importance.
It is known that the material properties of rubbers are strongly influenced by temperature. At low temperatures this is caused by the rubber-glass transition (abbr. glass transition). During continuous cooling the material changes from rubber-like entropy-elastic to stiff energy-elastic behaviour, that allows nearly no strain or retraction. Therefore, rubbers are normally used above their glass transition but the minimum working temperature limit is not defrned precisely, what can cause problems during application. The temperature ränge where full functionality is possible is strongly dependent on the application conditions and the material.
For this investigation mainly ethylene propylene diene (EPDM) and fluorocarbon rubbers (FKM) were selected as they are often used for radioactive waste Containers.
Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) are typically used for the determination of the temperature ränge of the glass transition process. The standardized compression set measurement according to ISO 815 is common for investigation of rubber sealing materials as the test simulates the seal behaviour after release. To reduce the test time of the Standard tests a faster technique giving the same information was developed.
Additionally, the breakdown temperature of the sealing function of complete O-ring seals is measured in a component test Setup to compare it with the results of the other tests. The experimental Setup is capable of measuring the leakage rate at low temperatures by the pressure rise method.
A model was developed that allows calculating the minimum working temperature limit of a seal by combining the results of the applied methods.
Rubbers are widely used as sealing material in various applications. In many fieldsthefunction of seal materials at lowtemperatures is required. Therefore the understanding of faiiure mechanisms that lead to leakage at low temperatures is of high importance. Therefore the lower Operation temperature limit of rubber seals should be determined in dependence of the material properties.
The results of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) are combined with results of standardized measurements as the compression set according to ISO 815. To reduce the test time of the Standard tests a faster and more efficient technique was developed and applied. In addition the breakdown temperature of the sealing function of O-ring seals at lowtemperatures is measured in a component test Setup in dependence of the material and the degree of compression.
Carbon fibre prepregs have found widespread application in lightweight constructions. They are based on a carbon-fibre fabric impregnated with reactive epoxy resin. DMA measurements under temperature conditions similar to an autoclave programme were carried out using commercially available prepreg material with a high glass transition temperature. The characteristic of the temperature programme was a dynamic heating segment at 1.5 K/min followed by a longer isothermal segment at 180 °C. The courses of the storage modulus E', loss modulus E'' and tanδ were recorded. The measuring frequency was varied between 1 Hz and 33.3 Hz. Gelation and vitrification are assigned. The influence of the measuring frequency on the time to vitrification and the correlation with DSC are discussed. The reaction does not end even after 10 h curing at 180 °C, which is interpreted as the slow cessation of the reaction caused by vitrification.
The thermal expansion of polymeric parts can be an issue in many applications where the available space is limited, or exact dimensions of the part are required. For this study, a device was designed and built that allowed measuring the thermal expansion simultaneously in all three spatial directions on cubic samples with real-scale dimensions (78 mm edge length). The results are shown between 25 °C and 125 °C for two PE materials, one HMWPE and one tempered UHMWPE, for non-irradiated samples as well as cubes that have been irradiated with 100 and 400 kGy. The results measured with the new device were very similar to those measured with conventional thermo-mechanical analysis equipment and to literature data of UHMWPE. The HMWPE material shows a much larger thermal expansion coefficient in one direction compared to the other two directions during the first heating due to frozen stresses from the pressing step during material manufacturing. These stresses are mostly released by the expansion during the first heating, so that the expansion during the second heating is more uniform. The overall volumetric expansion is the same for both heating runs. By contrast, the tempered UHMWPE material shows no significant difference between first and second heating run, as the stresses from processing could already relax in the tempering step. The irradiation treatment does not affect the values significantly for the given test set-up.
During an extensive test programme at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und prüfung, material property changes of EPDM O-rings were investigated at different ageing times and two ageing temperatures of 125∘C and 150∘C. To exclude possible diffusion-limited oxidation (DLO) effects that can distort the data, IRHD microhardness measurements were taken over the cross section of compressed O-rings. Continuous stress relaxation measurements were taken on samples free of DLO effects. The additional effect of physical processes to irreversible chemical ones during a long-term thermal exposure is quantified by the analysis of compression set measurements under various test conditions. By combining the different experimental methods, characteristic times relative to the degradation processes were determined. On the basis of experimental data, a microphysically motivated model that takes into account reversible and irreversible processes was developed. The parameter identification strategy of the material model is based on our experimental investigations on homogeneously aged elastomer O-rings. The simulated results are in good agreement with the experiments.
The excellent mechanical properties of elastomer seals at a wide range of temperatures as well as their high versatility and recovery potential under several load conditions make these materials well suitable for the application in containers designed for transport and disposal of negligible heat generating radioactive waste. While a seal exchange at defined intervals is typical in many conventional applications, it is impossible or at least hard to perform when principles of minimization of radiation exposure have to be considered which prohibit an avoidable cask handling. An extensive knowledge of the change of the elastomer properties during aging and the availability of reliable end-of-lifetime criteria to guarantee the safe enclosure of the radioactive material for the required time are mandatory. As BAM is involved in most of the national cask licensing procedures and in the evaluation of cask-related long-term safety issues, great efforts have already been made and are still ongoing to scientifically support this task.
Among other representative types of elastomers, specimen made from ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) were tested before, during and after aging to capture the with respect to application most important of their complex mechanical properties.
Exemplary results of these investigations were used to calibrate material models implemented in the commercial finite element software ABAQUS/Standard®. The finite element model already presented in previous works uses a sequential temperature displacement coupling. The calculated compression stress relaxation (CSR) and compression set (CS) values do satisfactorily match the experimental results.
In many investigations performed at BAM both values (CSR and CS) were identified as key indicators of elastomer’s long-term performance.
However, the possibility to correlate these equivalent indicators with performance values such as tightness and leakage rate, measurable in the mounted state, is an important goal of our future work. In the presented study the ABAQUS® feature of “pressure penetration” is introduced in the suggested finite element model for this purpose. It provides the possibility to simulate the penetration of a gas into a possible gap between flange and O-ring causing an opening of a leakage path. Three dimensional and axis-symmetric finite element models were generated to represent flat and grooved flanges of different dimensions.
The sensitivity of the feature to several input parameters is investigated and the observed behavior of the O-ring is correlated with the results of performed leakage tests.
Elastomer seals are mounted as barrier seals in lid systems of containers designed for transport and disposal of negligible heat generating radioactive waste and as auxiliary seals in spent fuel storage and transportation casks (dual purpose casks (DPC)). When the behavior of mounted seals under normal and hypothetical accident conditions of disposal and transport is to be simulated, a comprehensive knowledge of their complex mechanical properties at every state of aging is necessary. In previous works, BAM’s efforts in experimental investigations on specimen artificially aged at different temperatures and times and the implementation of the found results in finite element material models were presented. Additionally, our approaches to reproduce the aging process itself and to extrapolate the results of artificially accelerated aging to longer times were presented. Numerical simulations have shown that the behavior of the seal during mounting and one-sided pressurizing and the resulting performance values such as leakage rate strongly depend on the coefficient of friction (COF) between flange and seal. The friction coefficient, in turn, depends on the aging state of the elastomer material as several publications suggest (see below).
Dynamic COF between an exemplary ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) material and a stainless steel ball were determined by using a self-designed linear oscillation tribometer. Unaged and artificially aged EPDM specimen stored for 30 days and 100 days at a temperature of 150 °C were tested. A stainless steel ball (d=10 mm) is brought in contact with the specimen’s surface und loaded by normal forces of 2.5 N, 5 N, 10 N and 20 N. During a reciprocating movement of the EPDM sheet, the horizontal force/friction force is continuously measured, and the COF can be derived.
It is well known that friction is a complex phenomenon especially in soft materials. It cannot be excluded that the measured friction force is influenced by additional force components, resulting from the ball’s grooving through the elastomer’s surface. This force depends on the penetration depth of the ball and on the resistance of the elastomer in its different states of aging. The latter results from microstructural changes i.e., chain scission and additional crosslinking that occur during aging which in turn influence the softening or hardening of the material.
A finite element (FE) ABAQUS® model was developed to reproduce the measurement process. It should help to better understand the physical mechanisms and to quantify the percentage of measured forces resulting from real friction on the one hand and forces resulting from unintended side effects that could falsify the result on the other hand. The behavior of the elastomer in its different states of aging is reproduced by a FE material model already presented in previous works of BAM.
Rubber is widely used as sealing material in various applications. In many fields the function of seal materials at low temperatures is necessary. Therefore, the understanding of failure mechanisms that lead to leakage at low temperatures is of high importance.
It is known that the material properties of rubbers are strongly temperature dependent. At low temperatures this is caused by the rubber-glass transition (abbr. glass transition). During continuous cooling, due to the glass transition the material changes from rubber-like entropy-elastic behaviour to stiff energy-elastic behaviour, that allows nearly no strain or retraction. Hence, rubbers are normally used above their glass transition. But as the minimum working temperature limit of elastomers cannot be defined globally and precisely, the lower operation temperature limit of rubber seals should be determined in dependence of the application conditions and the most relevant material properties.
In this paper, wesummarize results of our temperature dependent investigation of seal material properties by classical thermal analysis as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), combined with measurements of standardized tests as compression set and the seal performance determined in component tests. To reduce the test time of compression set tests a faster technique was developed and applied.
To study the influence of dynamic events on the seal performance and to enhance the understanding of occurring seal failure, a setup for a fast partial seal release was designed.