Moisture permeation of environmental seals used in weapons
To allow more reliable estimates to be made of the amount of water that permeates through weapon environmental seals, we have generated extensive water permeability coefficient data for numerous o-ring materials, including, weapon-specific formulations of EPDM, butyl, fluorosilicone and silicone. For each material, data were obtained at several temperatures, ranging typically from 21[degrees]C to 80[degrees]C; for selected materials, the effect of relative humidity was monitored. Two different experimental techniques were used for most of the measurements, a permeability cup method and a weight gain/loss approach using, a sensitive microbalance. Good agreement was found between the results from the two methods, adding confidence to the reliability of the measurements. Since neither of the above methods was sufficiently sensitive to measure the water permeability of the butyl material at low temperatures, a third method, based on the use of a commercial instrument which employs a water-sensitive infrared sensor, was applied under these conditions.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 6884480
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-92-2651; ON: DE93008489
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
360606 -- Other Materials-- Physical Properties-- (1992-)
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450200* -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives
ETHYLENE PROPYLENE DIENE POLYMERS
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
GASKETS
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MOISTURE
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SILICON COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
POLYMERS
SEALS
SILICONES
SILOXANES
WATER
WEAPONS