All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA), WR - Pune Chapter, had organized Series of Technical Seminar initiated by Pune Chapter Chairman Miss Avantika Makar and Vice Chairman Mr. Aditya Gupta. This seminar was free of cost for AIRIA members and was conducted by both online and offline medium. In these series the 10th topic titled "Know your Rubber Hardness Testing" on Wednesday, 15th January 2025.
It was presented by Mrs. Rupal Kale, who is Technical Manager in Aasra Industries and completed B. E. Polymer, PGDIRI, also she is faculty of our ACCRT (Autonomous Certificate Course in Rubber Technology) course in Pune Chapter.
The Seminar kick started with welcoming the Participants and with a short introduction of the speaker. After welcome and introduction, Mrs. Rupal Kale Mam continued the Seminar.
She discussed the importance of rubber hardness testing in the rubber industry, explaining the factors that affect rubber hardness and introducing the Shore hardness test. She also detailed the procedure for checking the hardness of a sample using a hardness tester, the effects of over and under curing on rubber properties w.r.t. the hardness, the construction of Durometer and the calibration of hardness testers. Lastly, the seminar emphasized the need for proper sample approval and accurate hardness measurements, and clarified the difference between Shore A and Shore D hardness scales.
She explained that hardness is a mechanical measurement of a material's ability to resist indentation or plastic deformation. She highlighted the importance of hardness in the rubber industry, as it affects the quality and performance of rubber products.
Also discussed the factors that affect rubber hardness, including the type of rubber used, compounding, molecular structure, temperature, and humidity. She introduced the Shore hardness test, developed by Albert Ferdinand Shore in the 1920s, and explained its application in the rubber industry. Lastly, it was mentioned about the ASTM standard D2240-03 for checking rubber hardness.
The next lecture will be on TGA and will be delivered in February.