Durometer / Rubber Hardness Tester

Durometer   is one of several measures of the   hardness   of a material. Hardness may be defined as a material's resistance to permanent indentation. The durometer scale was defined by Albert F. Shore, who developed a measurement device called a durometer in the 1920s. The term durometer is often used to refer to the measurement, as well as the instrument itself. Durometer is typically used as a measure of hardness in   polymers,   elastomers   and   rubbers

 

Durometer scales

There are several scales of durometer, used for materials with different properties. The two most common scales, using slightly different measurement systems, are the ASTM D2240 type A and type D scales. The A scale is for softer plastics, while the D scale is for harder ones. However, the   ASTM   D2240-00 testing standard calls for a total of 12 scales, depending on the intended use; types A, B, C, D, DO, E, M, O, OO, OOO, OOO-S, and R. Each scale results in a value between 0 and 100, with higher values indicating a harder material.

Method of measurement

Durometer, like many other hardness tests, measures the depth of an indentation in the material created by a given force on a standardized presser foot. This depth is dependent on the hardness of the material, its   viscoelastic   properties, the shape of the presser foot, and the duration of the test. ASTM D2240 durometers allows for a measurement of the initial hardness, or the indentation hardness after a given period of time. The basic test requires applying the force in a consistent manner, without shock measuring the hardness (depth of the indentation). If a timed hardness is desired, force is applied for the required time and then read. The material under test should be a minimum of 6.4 mm (.25 inch) thick.

Test setup for type A & D

Durometer

Indenting foot

Applied mass [kg]

Resulting force [N]

Type A

Hardened steel rod 1.1 mm - 1.4 mm diameter, with a truncated 35º cone, 0.79 mm diameter

0.822

8.064

Type D

Hardened steel rod 1.1 mm - 1.4 mm diameter, with a 30º conical point, 0.1 mm radius tip

4.550

44.64

The final value of the hardness depends on the depth of the indenter after it has been applied for 15sec on the material. If the indenter penetrates 2.5 mm or more into the material, the durometer is 0 for that scale. If it does not penetrate at all, then the durometer is 100 for that scale. It is for this reason that multiple scales exist. Durometer is a dimensionless quantity, and there is no simple relationship between a material's durometer in one scale, and its durometer in any other scale, or by any other hardness test.

 

Durometers of various common materials

Material

Durometer

Scale

Rubber band

25

A

Door seal

55

A

Automotive tire tread

70

A

Soft skateboard wheel

75

A

Hydraulic   O-ring

70-90

A

Hard skateboard wheel

98

A

Ebonite Rubber

100

A

Solid truck tires

50

D

Hard hat

75

D

 

 

Select Product To View Details


 

Mid Accuracy DFT Meter

High Accuracy DFT Meter

DFT On Plastic, Concrete

Sound Level Meter

Tachometer

Shore Hardness Tester

Vibration Meter

Ultrasonic Thickness

Thermo Hygro Meter

 

Surface Profile Gauge

IR-Thermometer

 

 

 


Design downloaded from