What is cold resistance?

Cold resistance describes the ability of a material to largely retain its mechanical and physical properties even at low temperatures. At low temperatures, unsuitable rubber materials can become brittle, lose their elasticity or become Cracking the functionality of components such as Seals, Vibration dampers or Rubber-metal composite parts can be significantly impaired. The cold resistance therefore determines whether a component can be used reliably in frost, outdoors or in cryogenic technical environments.

 

Factors influencing cold resistance

The cold resistance of a rubber essentially depends on the Glass transition temperature (Tg) off. Above the Tg the material remains elastic, below it becomes hard and brittle. Typical influencing factors are

  • Polymer base: Silicone (VMQ) is particularly suitable for cold temperatures (down to approx. -50 °C), while NBR or FKM harden significantly earlier.
  • Degree of cross-linking: More strongly cross-linked mixtures harden more quickly in the cold.
  • Fillers and additives: Reinforcing fillers increase rigidity and reduce the flexibility of the material.
  • PlasticiserImprove cold flexibility in the short term, but can fail, crystallise or migrate at lower temperatures.
  • AgeingThe cold behaviour deteriorates due to existing material damage as a result of ageing effects, whereas cold in itself does not contribute to increased ageing.

 

Test method for cold resistance

The cold resistance is often determined using bending tests, tensile tests or dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA) at low temperatures. An important characteristic value is the lowest temperature at which the material remains functional without breaking or becoming unacceptably hard.

 

Importance of cold resistance in practice

Cold-resistant materials are crucial in applications such as automotive engineering (Seals, bearings in cold climate zones), aerospace, refrigeration technology or offshore systems. Elastomers such as silicone rubber (VMQ), fluorosilicone (FVMQ) or natural rubber (NR) offer very good low-temperature flexibility, while standardNBR or FKM are only partially resistant to cold. In critical applications, appropriate tests under real operating conditions are essential.