Corrosion resistance of elastomers

Books & Publications ENGINEERING POLYMERS R W Dyson Blackie & S o n Limited UK 1 9 8 9 £ 3 9 ISBN: 0 2 1 6 9 2 6 7 8 5 This book, edited by R W Dyson, consists of seven chapters essentially concerned with polymers or polymer-based composites, which have some current interest in the polymer technology industry. The contributors (all from the London School of Polymer Technology) discuss topics, which include high t e m p e r a t u r e rubbers, p o l y m e r foams, filled thermoplastics, long fibre thermosets, films and the use of polymers in cable applications. The book is entitled "Engineering Polymers" and is loosely concerned with polymeric materials which have been designed and produced to meet the requirements of a specific product or range of products within a given area of use. Arguably, a more appropriate title would have been "Engineered Polymers". The difficulty with the particular title of this book is that to many in the p o l y m e r industry it s u g g e s t s polymers meant exclusively for the "high-tech" end of the business e g polymers having high stiffness and strength at elevated temperatures. The editor, I suspect, was faced with this prejudice and has gallantly included other polymer systems e g the thermoplastic elastomers, which are truly engineered in a molecular sense.

The choice of topics and the style and breadth of coverage is inclined to be rather inconsistent and there are some omissions. Possibly two of the most important developments in the polymer field in recent years include the continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastics (e g APC) and the thermotropic liquid crystal polymers; both of these get very scant coverage, if at all. The chapter c o n c e r n e d with p o l y m e r s in telecommunications and power transmission reveals a considerable perception of the subject and highlights recent thinking in this

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area. However, in one or two of the other chapters, the authors have leaned too heavily on standard infor. mation gleaned from manufacturers' data sheets; the discussion is then much less incisive and up-to-date. However, in a book of this size, it is impossible to discuss everything. Most significantly, the book is well written and presented and it is easy and enjoyable to read. CORROSION RESISTANCE OF ELASTOMERS Philip A Schweitzer, P E Marcel Dekker N e w York & Basel 1 9 9 0 , 1 8 4 pp Price $ 9 5 . 5 0 This book is one of a series concerning corrosion technology and is clearly written for the general tech. nicai reader rather than the established expert already practising in the elastomer or rubber technology field. Its style makes it quick for the reader to obtain a broad knowledge of the various tests used to measure the corrosion or, to use more conventional technology, ageing and chemical resistance properties, of elastomers. Individual chapters are written on natural rubber (NR), isoprene (IR), neoprene (CR), styrene.butadiene (SBR), nitrile (NBR), butyl (I1R) and chiorobutyl (CIIR), chlorosuiphonated polyethylene (CSM), butadiene (BR), ethylene-acrylic (EA), acrylate. butadiene and acrylic ester-acrylic halide (ACM), ethylene-propylene (EPDM), styrene-butadiene.styrene (SBS), styre ne-ethylene-butylenes t y r e n e (SEBS), polysulphide (ST&FA), urethane (AU), polyamides, polyester, olefinic thermoplastic (TPE), silicone (Q), vinylidene fluoride (HFP, PVDF), fluoroelastomers (FHM), ethylene-tetra fluoroethylene (ETFE), ethylene-chiorotrifluoroethylene (E CTFE) and perfluoroelastimers (FPM). Each chapter contains useful comments on and the applications established for each elastomer. The writing style used is descrip-

Overall, the book will be of particular benefit to final year students in Materials as well as those invol. ved in research work or who are about to join a company concerned with design in polymers and composites as part of their product range. M J Folkes, Brunel University

tive and almost no chemical structures or formulae are used; similarly at irregular intervals a typical elastomer formulation or recipe is quoted in the text for some elastomers with an example of their physical and mechanical properties. Hence the book serves to illustrate the terminology u s e d by the elastomer industry to quantify the properties of its materials. There are useful tables of comparative corrosion or chemical resistance properties which would be useful as an applications guide to service where the ranking method is that of R = suitable for service, U = unsuitable for service or simply blank for no data available. Terrain. ology used in the text is not always modern, for example neoprene, though universally used in the USA, is not nowaccepted for international use where the term polychloroprene predominates and the abbreviation for silicone elastomers is not SI but should be Q. For a book with a small specialised readership the format seems to be in accordance with present publishing practice and is of high standard. Quality of print is good, and text easy to read and a safe secure binding system is used. The book will not set the corrosion resistance literature new standards of technical excellence but it would find a readership niche in the general materials users reference or background readership sectors. Certainly there are no other books, in print, devoted entirely to the corrosion resistance of elastomers. Claude Hepburn IPTME, Loughborough

MATERIALS & DESIGN Vol. 11 No. 5 OCTOBER 1990