Aging characterization and degradation of Nitrile Butadiene Rubber for viscoelastic damping applications

Abstract

The aging and degradation of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) for viscoelastic damping applications is a critical issue for design engineers in ensuring the long-term service of mechanical systems. In this study, the aim was to characterize the aging of NBR and assess its impact on the damping characteristics of the material. The NBR material was allowed to age naturally under ambient conditions, with no load, and homogeneous and isotropic assumptions were made. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) technique was utilized to identify alterations in the functional groups of NBR during the aging process. The complex properties of naturally aged NBR materials were compared to those of virgin NBR materials in the frequency and temperature domains using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) experiments. Mechanical tests were used to assess the hardness, elongation break, and failure stress of both virgin NBR and naturally aged NBR. An Obrest beam configuration with aluminum as the base material was employed in the experiments to examine the damping capacity of NBR. According to the results, NBR's damping ability declined with age, falling by 8% at the first resonance frequency and 34% at the third resonance frequency. The results of this study provide important insights into the aging and degradation of NBR for viscoelastic damping applications and will aid in the design and selection of materials for these applications.