Characterization of elastomeric materials with application to design

Redesign of the Space Shuttle Solid Booster has necessitated re-evaluation of the material used in the field joint O-ring seals. The viscoelastic characteristics of five candidate materials were determined. The five materials are: two fluorocarbon compounds, two nitrile compounds, and a silicon compound. The materials were tested in a uniaxial compression test to determine the characteristic relaxation functions. These tests were performed at five different temperatures. A master material curve was developed for each material from the experimental data. The results are compared to tensile relaxation tests. Application of these results to the design analysis is discussed in detail.