Service life prediction and evaluation of rubber components is the foundational technology necessary for securing the safety and reliability of the product and to ensure an optimum design. Even though the domestic industry has recognized the importance thereof, technology for a systematic design and analysis of the same has not yet been established. In order to develop this technology, identifying the fatigue damage parameters that affect service life is imperative. Most anti-vibration rubber components had been damaged by repeated load and aging. Hence, the evaluation of the fatigue characteristics is indispensable. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a method that can predict the service life of rubber components relatively accurately in a short period of time. This method works even in the initial designing stage. We followed the service life prediction procedure of the proposed rubber components. The weak part of the rubber and the maximum strain were analyzed using finite element analysis of the rubber bushing for the tracked vehicles. In order to predict the service life of the rubber components that were in storage for a certain period of time, the fatigue test was performed on the three-dimensional dumbbell specimen, based on the results obtained by the rubber material acceleration test. The service life formula of the rubber bushing for tracked vehicles was derived using both finite element analysis and the fatigue test. The service life of the rubber bushing for tracked vehicles was estimated to be about 1.7 million cycles at room temperature (initial stage) and about 400,000 cycles when kept in storage for 3 years. Through this paper, the service life for various rubber parts is expected be predicted and evaluated. This will contribute to improving the durability and reliability of rubber components.

Automobile industry, along with the automobile steering system, is rapidly changing and developing. The constant velocity joint transmits power to the wheels of vehicles without changing their angular velocity based on the movement of the steering wheel. Moreover, it controls their movement to act as a buffer. In order to prevent the excessive increase in temperature caused by the movement of vehicles, boots are attached to the constant velocity joint and lubricant is injected into the boots. The boots maintain the lubrication and protect the constant velocity joint from sand, water, and so on. As the wheels of the vehicle rotate, the boots are acted upon by forces such as bending, compression, and tension. Additionally, self-contact occurs to boots. Therefore, their durability deteriorates over time. To prevent this problem, polychloroprene rubber was initially used however, it was replaced by thermoplastic polyester elastomers due to their excellent fatigue durability. In this study, the structural analysis of boots was conducted. The results showed the deformation patterns of the boots based on the translation and rotation of the constant velocity joint. Moreover, it confirmed the location that was vulnerable to deformation. This study can be used to potentially design high-quality constant velocity joint boots.

Currently, peroxide cure is a widely used cure system for rubber materials. To improve its effectivity, co-agents are used to enhance the peroxide efficiency and mechanical properties of rubber materials. Co-agents are multifunctional organic compounds that are highly reactive towards free radicals. These co-agents provide higher cross-link densities for a given peroxide concentration and improve the mechanical properties of peroxide-cured rubber composites. In this study, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPTMA) and high vinyl 1,2-polybutadiene (HVPBD) were used as co-agents. In order to obtain a concentration that achieves a favorable balance between mechanical properties and co-agent concentration, this research investigated the effects of co-agent content on the curing characteristics, chemical structures, and mechanical properties of HNBR composites. Additionally, the heat aging properties and compression sets of HNBR composites were investigated. Based on the results, we found that the HNBR composites with TMPTMA co-agents exhibited higher Shore A hardness and 10% modulus and better heat aging resistance and compression set than that of the HVPBD co-agent. The heat aging resistance and compression set deteriorated with increasing HVPBD content.

Herein, resin-formed polysilsesquioxanes (PSSQs) were synthesized using monomolecular fluoro silane as a precursor. The synthesized PSSQs exhibited anti-smudge performance and were used as coating liquid. Two structures were acquired by controlling the amount of the silane precursor and the K2CO3 catalyst; these materials were used to prepare the anti-smudge coating liquid solution. The synthesized product was analyzed by various methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, gel permeation chromatography, and water contact angle measurement. The results confirmed that the as-synthesized PSSQs exhibited the ladder structure and had a molecular weight of 5,117 g/mol and water contact angle of 102.31°.

Wear particles of the model tread compounds for bus and truck tires were made using a laboratory abrasion tester and characterized based on their size distributions, shapes, and crosslink densities. The influence of the carbon black contents and rubber compositions (NR= 100 and NR/BR= 80/20) on the production of wear particles was investigated. The wear particles were separated according to size using a sieve shaker. The shape properties of the wear particles were analyzed using an image analyzer and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Their shapes were observed as tiny stick cookies or sausages with bumpy surfaces. The particle size distribution tended to be smaller with increasing carbon black content. Moreover, the particle size distributions of the NR = 100 samples were larger than that of the NR/BR blend samples. There were different filaments in the wear particles. The filament diameters tended to be thinner with increasing carbon black content. The crosslink density increased with increasing carbon black content, and the crosslink densities of the NR= 100 samples were lower than those of the NR/BR blend ones. The particle size distribution tended to be smaller with increasing crosslink density. Based on the experimental results, the wear particles can be produced by detaching debris from the main body through repetitive strain and recovery.

The effect of a greenhouse-covering material on its indoor environment and on the characteristics of cherry tomatoes grown in it was investigated. The conventional polyethylene (PE) film on the greenhouse roof was replaced by a polycarbonate (PC) sheet, while maintaining the main structural frame intact. Color changes and the formation of water droplets on the PC surface were avoided by applying coextrusion and coating layers. When compared to the PE greenhouse, the PC greenhouse enabled increased light transmittance and thus a higher indoor temperature during both summer and winter. The thermal insulating property of the PC sheet effectively reduced the heating loss by approximately 55% during winter. The cherry tomatoes grown in the PC greenhouse exhibited superior fruit characteristics in terms of size, weight, and sugar content. The total amount of cherry tomatoes produced per unit area (1,000 m2) in the PC greenhouse was found to be greater by approximately 19% compared to that in the PE greenhouse.

In this study, molding shrinkage of PPS resin was investigated. Two types of PPS resins with differing glass fiber and calcium carbonate content were used for this purpose. To observe mold shrinkage, molding conditions based on injection temperature, injection speed, and the position of the cushion were selected. Circular and rectangular specimens were used for the study model. Injection molding simulation was performed to predict the filling pattern and mold shrinkage, and the simulation results were compared with the experimental conclusions. It was observed that the mold shrinkage showed the highest shrinkage (distributed from 0.05% to 0.32%) dependence on the injection temperature, and the lowest shrinkage (distributed from 0.05% to 0.31%) dependence on the injection speed. The role of the position of the cushion in mold shrinkage was difficult to observe. The results of the simulation mostly agreed with the experimental results; however, for some molding conditions, the mold shrinkage in the simulation was overestimated as compared to that in the experiment.

The hydrolysis mechanisms as well as the hydrolysis measurement technique and its practical applications in material manufacturing fields are revised. This chapter, Part 1, elaborates the theoretical aspects of the hydrolysis mechanism. Acid-catalyzed and base-catalyzed hydrolysis mechanisms are reviewed. The quantitative analysis method based on the SIM technique using py-GC-MS is reviewed. Examples of hydrolysis of alkoxysilane in elastomer composites currently used in the industry and hydrolysis of amine in plastic composites are shown. Moreover, Part 2 discusses the mechanical property changes in elastomer and plastic composites after hydrolysis.

Part 1 provides a theoretical introduction of the hydrolysis mechanism, while Part 2 introduces other types of reaction mechanisms after hydrolysis in elastomer and PA66 composites. We reviewed the condensation reaction, which occurs after hydrolysis in bi-functional alkoxy silane (TESPD & TESPT), and investigated its effects on the mechanical properties of the composites. We also reviewed activators such as zinc soap, which enhances the mechanical properties of silica-silane-filled elastomer composites. The interaction parameter of silica-silane-filled elastomer composites [αC (alpha C)] were also discussed. The effects of hydrolysis on the mechanical property changes in plastic composites were compared and reviewed.