EFFECTS OF SURROUNDING AND SURFACE FACTORS ON FIXING STRENGTH

Abstract

Effects of surrounding factor such as time, temperature, and relative humidity, and surface factor such as surface roughness, hardness, and surface appearance on the fixing strength (FS) were investigated. FS had a maximum value for the testing time, although it increased with an increase in testing temperature. The relative humidity has two tendencies for FS, that it increases or decreases with the humidity. The surface roughness of metal and vulcanizates leads to the decrease of FS as the contact area of metal and vulcanizates surfaces increases. The hardness of vulcanizates decreased FS since the adsorption of rubber molecular chains to metal surfaces is depressed. Metal surfaces with an organic film and a low energy surface were inactive for the fixing between metals and vulcanizates.