Seals Eastern's Material Development Center is equipped with state-of-the-art instruments for quantifying elastomeric material properties for research, development, QA, and forensic support. Our equipment includes:

MDR 2000E - Moving Die Rheometer

Used to characterize the cure profile for all Seals Eastern compounds. A sample of uncured rubber is placed between the rheometer plates; the plates are then closed, forming a sealed cavity. The plates are maintained at 330° F while one plate oscillates. The stationary plate is equipped with a torque transducer, which records the induced torque as time and curing progress.

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR):

Seals Eastern utilizes Fourier transformed infrared spectral data for Quality Control and chemical analysis of rubber compounds and ingredients. Seals Eastern employs a computer integrated FTIR instrument to perform such analysis. We use the Nicolet® Model 460 bench combined with a Spectra-Tech Thunderdome ATR (Attenuated Total Reflectance) accessory as an extremely powerful tool for analysis of elastomer composition and chemical degradation. FTIR enables us to examine the presence or changes of functional organic groups present within the rubber composition.

ARES - Advanced Rheometric Expansion System

Seals Eastern utilizes an ARES to characterize and analyze the viscoelastic properties of its materials. The ARES Strain-Controlled Rheometer, by Rheometric Scientific, is an advanced instrument capable of mechanical polymer characterization. The instrument is capable of a wide range of testing from steady shear to multi-wave temperature sweeps. The instrument is capable of testing in the temperature range of -150° C to 600° C. Dynamic tests can be performed at frequencies between 10-5 rad/s and 500 rad/s. Flow and stress relaxation phenomena are easily observed using the ARES instrument. To learn more about Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis read Luckenbachs paper (note: you will need Acrobat Reader to down load this paper).

Instron Tensile Testing Machines

For standard (and some non-standard) measurements of rubber properties, Seals Eastern, Inc. has two Instron tensile testing machines. The Model 4400R and Model 1122 are equipped to perform tensile and peel tests of virtually any rubber compound. Both machines are computer integrated for precise data collection and generation of stress - strain curves as well as integration of the area under the stress- strain curves. Standard tests include: ASTM D429 Method B Peel Test, ASTM D1414 O-Ring Tests, ASTM D412 Tensile Tests.

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