ELASTOMER Science and Engineering
Course | Elastomer Science & Engineering (201500344) |
Credits (ECTS) | 5 |
Course type | Lecture and practical |
Language of instruction | English |
Contact person | Prof. Dr. Anke Blume |
Lecturer(s) | Prof. Dr. A. Blume / Dr. F. Grunert |
This course will take place in 2B, containing 16 lectures plus tutorials and Q&A sessions.
Additionally, one week of lab work in small groups is included.
Study material: B. Rodgers (ed.): Rubber Compounding; Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, Basel (2004); Lecture notes: "Elastomeric Technology" 115650, nr. 799
EXAMINATION
Oral exam and written report
GENERAL COURSE AIM
The student will understand the composition and process for the design and production of rubber products. The student will understand the behavior of different rubber compositions in different environments. These skills will enable the student to create new and more sustainable rubber products for different applications to meet future requirements.
AIMS
Learning objectives to reach the aim of the course:
- Can describe the whole manufacturing process of rubber
- Can define different requirements for different rubber applications
- Know and can explain the function of different rubber ingredients inside a compound
- Are able to design a rubber formulation to fulfil given requirements
- Can name and explain different in-rubber properties and how to test them
- Can differentiate different elastomers and can select the best suitable elastomer for a specific application
- Know the difference between carbon black and silica-filled rubber compounds and the required changes in the production process
- Can explain the unique viscoelastic behavior of rubber
- Can describe rubber reinforcement with regard to filler-filler, filler-polymer and polymer-polymer interactions
- Know why and how to crosslink different rubber compounds
- Can explain the main tire properties, how to test them and the possibility to improve them
- Know possibilities to face the increasing request for more sustainable rubber products
- Can explain and judge different recycling possibilities for rubber products
CONTENT
Elastomer or Rubber Technology represents a sub-group of the wider field of polymer technology. It covers about 15% of the total polymer turnover. Polymer-technology originated from rubber-technology, but rubbers have kept their own identity because of their unique combination of resilience and form stability after extremely large deformations, commonly designated as "rubber-elasticity".
Elastomeric articles always are there to perform a function, wherein the rubber-elastic properties are the key factor: e.g. a car-tire translates all car-drivers interventions into the car-road contact: accelerating, breaking, cornering, etc. In this functional performance, the design of the article, the composition of the elastomeric material - commonly prepared for the purpose and called "compounding" - and the manufacturing technique all come together and jointly determine the end-result.
In this introductory course the structural characteristics and properties of elastomers are covered, as well as the basic principles of compounding, processing and vulcanization, all illustrated with representative examples of rubber applications.
The course includes a 5 days laboratory training into rubber compounding, vulcanization and characterization of mechanical properties, mainly to illustrate and visualize the main processing and performance tests in use in the rubber world, as they are different from thermoplastic polymers.
COMPETENCES:
---
REQUIRED COURSES / KNOWLEDGE :
Some basic knowledge of polymers. For students within the Faculty CTW:
- Verwerking en Eigenschappen van Kunststoffen (191121121),
- Project R (191103131).
For students from other faculties this is decided on a case-by-case basis.
Recommended: For students within the Faculty CTW: Inleiding Technologisch Onderzoek (191155210)
Contacts
