Rubber and Foam Testing

ASTM D395 governs the testing of rubber and similar materials intended for use in applications in which the material will be subjected to compressive stresses in either air or a liquid medium. There are two test methods covered in the standard: Method A – Compression Set under Constant Force, and B – Compression Set under Constant Deflection. Unless otherwise stated, Test Method B is to be used.

ASTM D1329 defines a temperature-retraction procedure for the rapid evaluation of crystallization effects and for comparing the viscoelastic properties of rubber and rubber-like materials at low temperatures. A small dog-boned specimen is held in an elongated condition, subjected to a low temperature, and then allowed to retract freely while raising the temperature at a uniform rate and measuring the retraction.

ASTM Standard D1414 defines a procedure for determining the physical properties of O-rings, and changes in these properties due to aging. Both tensile strength and ultimate elongation are determined.