Mechanical Aging Test and Sealing Performance of Thermoplastic Vulcanizate as Sealing Gasket in Automotive Fuel Cell Applications
Ethylene–propylene–diene monomer (EPDM) rubber is one of the rapidly developing synthetic rubbers for use as a gasket material in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell applications. Despite its excellent elastic and sealing properties, EPDM faces challenges such as molding processability and recy...
Main Authors: | , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-04-01
|
Series: | Polymers |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/8/1872 |
_version_ | 1797603711554420736 |
---|---|
author | Hyungu Im Sunkyoung Jeoung |
author_facet | Hyungu Im Sunkyoung Jeoung |
author_sort | Hyungu Im |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Ethylene–propylene–diene monomer (EPDM) rubber is one of the rapidly developing synthetic rubbers for use as a gasket material in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell applications. Despite its excellent elastic and sealing properties, EPDM faces challenges such as molding processability and recycling ability. To overcome these challenges, thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), which comprises vulcanized EPDM in polypropylene matrix, was investigated as a gasket material for PEM fuel cell applications. TPV showed better long-term stability in terms of tension and compression set behaviors under accelerated aging conditions than EPDM. Additionally, TPV exhibited significantly higher crosslinking density and surface hardness than EPDM, regardless of the test temperature and aging time. TPV and EPDM showed similar leakage rates for the entire range of test inlet pressure values, regardless of the applied temperature. Therefore, we can conclude that TPV exhibits a similar sealing capability with more stable mechanical properties compared with commercialized EPDM gaskets in terms of He leakage performance. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:35:37Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-1243cdbc4a62462a8a20f3a6182b8b73 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2073-4360 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:35:37Z |
publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Polymers |
spelling | doaj.art-1243cdbc4a62462a8a20f3a6182b8b732023-11-17T21:01:47ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602023-04-01158187210.3390/polym15081872Mechanical Aging Test and Sealing Performance of Thermoplastic Vulcanizate as Sealing Gasket in Automotive Fuel Cell ApplicationsHyungu Im0Sunkyoung Jeoung1Material Technology R&D Division, Korea Automotive Technology Institute, Cheonan-si 31214, Republic of KoreaMaterial Technology R&D Division, Korea Automotive Technology Institute, Cheonan-si 31214, Republic of KoreaEthylene–propylene–diene monomer (EPDM) rubber is one of the rapidly developing synthetic rubbers for use as a gasket material in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell applications. Despite its excellent elastic and sealing properties, EPDM faces challenges such as molding processability and recycling ability. To overcome these challenges, thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), which comprises vulcanized EPDM in polypropylene matrix, was investigated as a gasket material for PEM fuel cell applications. TPV showed better long-term stability in terms of tension and compression set behaviors under accelerated aging conditions than EPDM. Additionally, TPV exhibited significantly higher crosslinking density and surface hardness than EPDM, regardless of the test temperature and aging time. TPV and EPDM showed similar leakage rates for the entire range of test inlet pressure values, regardless of the applied temperature. Therefore, we can conclude that TPV exhibits a similar sealing capability with more stable mechanical properties compared with commercialized EPDM gaskets in terms of He leakage performance.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/8/1872mechanical ageingsealing performancefuel cellthermoplastic vulcanizateEPDM/TPV |
spellingShingle | Hyungu Im Sunkyoung Jeoung Mechanical Aging Test and Sealing Performance of Thermoplastic Vulcanizate as Sealing Gasket in Automotive Fuel Cell Applications Polymers mechanical ageing sealing performance fuel cell thermoplastic vulcanizate EPDM/TPV |
title | Mechanical Aging Test and Sealing Performance of Thermoplastic Vulcanizate as Sealing Gasket in Automotive Fuel Cell Applications |
title_full | Mechanical Aging Test and Sealing Performance of Thermoplastic Vulcanizate as Sealing Gasket in Automotive Fuel Cell Applications |
title_fullStr | Mechanical Aging Test and Sealing Performance of Thermoplastic Vulcanizate as Sealing Gasket in Automotive Fuel Cell Applications |
title_full_unstemmed | Mechanical Aging Test and Sealing Performance of Thermoplastic Vulcanizate as Sealing Gasket in Automotive Fuel Cell Applications |
title_short | Mechanical Aging Test and Sealing Performance of Thermoplastic Vulcanizate as Sealing Gasket in Automotive Fuel Cell Applications |
title_sort | mechanical aging test and sealing performance of thermoplastic vulcanizate as sealing gasket in automotive fuel cell applications |
topic | mechanical ageing sealing performance fuel cell thermoplastic vulcanizate EPDM/TPV |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/8/1872 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT hyunguim mechanicalagingtestandsealingperformanceofthermoplasticvulcanizateassealinggasketinautomotivefuelcellapplications AT sunkyoungjeoung mechanicalagingtestandsealingperformanceofthermoplasticvulcanizateassealinggasketinautomotivefuelcellapplications |