Rubber Testing Articles

How Does Temperature Affect a Rubber's Shore Durometer?
How Does Temperature Affect a Rubber's Shore Durometer?

Most product failures aren't a great mystery. They typically happen because a small, critical detail was overlooked somewhere in the process. And when your business deals with elastomeric or rubber components, the most commonly overlooked detail is the material's specific firmness. 

That number is its durometer, and treating it as a static, unchanging property is a significant business risk. 

Tensile Strength vs Durometer: An Essential Guide
Tensile Strength vs Durometer: An Essential Guide

To put it plainly, a material failure can do more than just stop a project in its tracks; it can damage your reputation and your bottom line. 

In our experience, many of these failures begin with a simple misunderstanding of material properties. The most common point of confusion we see is the tensile strength vs durometer issue. They sound related, but they measure entirely different characteristics, and the choice between them is a critical decision. 

IRHD vs Shore: A Complete Guide for Professionals
IRHD vs Shore: A Complete Guide for Professionals

Getting the hardness of your rubber components exactly right is a fundamental part of a successful product. 

Your Expert ASTM D2240 Durometer Guide
Your Expert ASTM D2240 Durometer Guide

Getting a material's hardness right is a critical factor for product performance. 

An incorrect value can lead to a component that feels substandard or fails prematurely. This is the precise challenge the ASTM D2240 durometer test method was made to solve. Consider it the official procedure for a specific type of indentation test that confirms how resistant or pliable your materials are. 

We’re going to outline this standard, look at its variations, and explain how you can achieve truly consistent numbers from your ASTM D2240 durometer. 

Durometer Hardness: Shore A vs Shore D Differences
Durometer Hardness: Shore A vs Shore D Differences

In the manufacturing sector, getting material properties right is a fundamental requirement for success. 

We have consistently seen that a product's performance, safety, and lifespan are directly tied to the pliability or rigidity of the materials used. For this reason, anyone specifying materials must have a firm grasp of the difference between Shore A and Shore D hardness. 

Tensile Testing vs Compression Testing: Key Differences, Methods & Applications
Tensile Testing vs Compression Testing: Key Differences, Methods & Applications

Many of us often mistake Tensile Testing vs Compression Testing as interchangeable terms for evaluating how much a material can stretch. In reality, while both aim to expose materials to specific stress conditions, they differ significantly in method, direction of force, and what properties they measure.

How Brittleness Testing Helps Prevent Material Failure
How Brittleness Testing Helps Prevent Material Failure

The brittleness temperature is the point at which 50% of tested specimens break under specified impact conditions. This parameter is especially important for plastics and elastomers.

ASTM D746 outlines the procedure for determining a material’s brittleness temperature, giving engineers insight into how materials perform in demanding environments. Brittleness Point Testers are essential in this process, supporting consistent quality control in manufacturing.

Karl Fischer Titration​
Karl Fischer Titration​ - Precise Moisture Analysis Made Easy

Water contamination is a major concern in various industries, causing component failure and damaging production processes. Even small amounts of water can have significant effects on equipment and product quality.

How to Measure Plastic Hardness: Methods, Scales, and Testing Equipment
How to Measure Plastic Hardness: Methods, Scales, and Testing Equipment

How to measure plastic hardness - One of the key reasons to measure plastic hardness is to classify finished products by quality, especially those that go directly into consumers' hands. The hardness of a plastic often signals whether it’s fit for everyday use or likely to fail under pressure.

Manufacturers, therefore, rely on hardness data not just for compliance, but for making clear decisions in material selection and product validation.

Understanding the Shore Hardness Test: Method, Formula & Diagram
Understanding the Shore Hardness Test: Method, Formula & Diagram

Shore hardness test is typically used for measuring different materials, especially the softer ones like rubbers, elastomers, and certain softer plastics, such as vinyls, polyolefins, and fluoropolymers. This method evaluates how resistant a material is to indentation, providing valuable insight into its flexibility, surface durability, and potential performance under load.

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