Abstract
The aim of our contribution is to use a dynamic mechanical spectroscopy to determination and prediction of life time of conveyor belt rubbers. Conveyor belt rubbers undergo during their long-lasting operation to changes of their physical properties, namely changes of network (crosslink) density, glass transition temperature, equilibrium modulus and elongation-to-break.
These changes, called aging, originate in air oxygen activity, UV radiation and temperature fluctuations. Mechanical measurements of real and imaginary part of complex Young’s modulus proceeded in the temperature region from temperatures corresponding to the glassy state of belts (low temperatures) up to the rubbery region (high temperatures).To characterize the air aging of rubbers we have collected samples of belts having been in use various time and also new belt rubbers.
Aging of new belt samples in an oven was studied for different times and temperatures.