Cryogenic Brittleness Tester

The Cryogenic Brittleness Tester is a specialized instrument engineered to evaluate the embrittlement characteristics of vulcanized rubber, plastics, and polymeric materials under extreme low-temperature conditions. In industries where materials face freezing environments—such as automotive (winter tires, gaskets), aerospace (fuel lines, seals), and consumer goods (outdoor equipment)—understanding at what temperature a material transitions from ductile to brittle is critical for product safety and durability. This tester simulates these harsh conditions, providing quantitative data on the minimum temperature at which brittle failure occurs, enabling manufacturers to validate material performance against design requirements and regulatory standards.

Testing Principle

The tester follows a rigorous protocol to assess low-temperature embrittlement:

Specimen Preparation: Materials (typically vulcanized rubber or plastics) are shaped into standardized specimens, ensuring consistency across tests.
Low-Temperature Exposure: Specimens are fixed in the testing device and immersed in a cryogenic medium (ethanol, provided by the user) for 5 minutes, allowing them to reach thermal equilibrium with the cold environment.
Controlled Impact: After exposure, an indenter strikes the specimens at a precise linear velocity of 2 ± 0.2 m/s—mimicking sudden stress in cold conditions, such as a tire hitting a pothole in freezing weather.
Failure Evaluation: Specimens are inspected for cracks, fissures, holes, or complete fracture. The process is repeated at gradually lower temperatures to identify the critical embrittlement temperature: the minimum temperature at which brittle destruction occurs.

This method ensures that results reflect real-world performance, helping manufacturers avoid catastrophic failures in cold climates.

Compliance Standards

The tester adheres to a comprehensive range of international and regional standards, ensuring its results are globally recognized and actionable:

ASTM Standards: Including ASTM D746 (Type A/B) for plastic embrittlement and ASTM D2137 for rubber, critical for North American markets.
GB Standards: Such as GB/T15256 (rubber) and GB/T5470 (plastics), aligning with Chinese national requirements for material testing.
ISO, JIS Standards: ISO 812, ISO 974, JIS K7216 (Type A/B), and JIS C3005, ensuring compatibility with European, Japanese, and global markets.

Compliance with these standards guarantees that test data is valid for regulatory submissions, product certifications, and cross-industry comparisons, making the tester indispensable for multinational manufacturers.

Key Features

Integrated Control System

Equipped with a large-color LCD touchscreen, the tester offers intuitive operation through a user-friendly interface. It integrates automatic timing (for specimen exposure), real-time temperature display (with 0.1°C resolution), and program-based control—allowing users to pre-set temperature sequences and automate repetitive tests. This reduces human error, ensures consistent protocol execution, and simplifies training for new operators.

Precision Temperature Control

A high-precision PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) intelligent temperature control module regulates the cryogenic bath with exceptional stability. This system minimizes temperature fluctuations (≤ ±0.5°C) and prevents overshoot, ensuring specimens are exposed to the exact cold conditions specified in standards. Whether testing at -20°C or -70°C, the module maintains thermal uniformity, critical for accurate embrittlement temperature determination.

Efficient Refrigeration & Cooling Flexibility

Two-Stage Compressor: The tester features a French Taikang two-stage fully enclosed air-cooled compressor, designed for rapid cooling. It uses an advanced multi-loop, eco-friendly system with R404A and R23 refrigerants, achieving a minimum temperature of -70°C without liquid nitrogen.
Liquid Nitrogen Compatibility: For ultra-low temperature testing (as low as -120°C), a spare heat exchanger interface allows connection to a liquid nitrogen supply—expanding the tester’s range to meet specialized needs, such as aerospace material qualification.

This dual cooling capability ensures the tester adapts to diverse industry requirements, from routine quality checks to cutting-edge research.

Uniform Temperature Distribution

An electric motor and fan system stir the liquid heat transfer medium (ethanol) in the cryogenic bath, eliminating temperature gradients. This ensures all four specimen sets (tested simultaneously) experience identical cold conditions, preventing variability that could skew results. Thermal uniformity is further enhanced by the test chamber’s SUS304 stainless steel construction, which resists corrosion and maintains consistent heat transfer.

User-Friendly Design

Media Management: The test chamber includes a manual valve discharge port, simplifying the addition and removal of ethanol—reducing downtime between tests and minimizing spillage risks.
Automatic Rotary Positioning Fixture: This feature streamlines testing by automatically positioning specimens for impact, ensuring each receives the same force and angle of strike. This automation is critical for repeatability, especially when testing multiple batches.

Comprehensive Safety Protection

Over-Current/Voltage Protection: Prevents electrical damage to the compressor and control system during power fluctuations.
Temperature Over-Limit Protection: Shuts down the refrigeration system if temperatures exceed safe ranges, protecting both equipment and specimens.
High/Low Voltage Safeguards: Ensure stable operation even in regions with inconsistent power supplies, extending equipment lifespan.

Technical Specifications

Application Fields

The Low Temperature Embrittlement Tester is critical for evaluating cold resistance in materials used in:

Automotive Industry: Testing rubber tires, gaskets, and plastic components to ensure they resist embrittlement in sub-zero temperatures.
Aerospace: Evaluating seals, hoses, and composites for aircraft operating in extreme cold at high altitudes.
Consumer Goods: Assessing outdoor equipment (e.g., ski gear, winter clothing fasteners) and household appliances (refrigerator gaskets) for cold durability.
Electronics: Validating plastic and rubber insulators in cables and connectors, ensuring they maintain flexibility in freezing environments.

Conclusion

The Low Temperature Embrittlement Tester combines advanced refrigeration technology, precision control, and adherence to global standards to deliver reliable data on material behavior under extreme cold. Its ability to test multiple specimens simultaneously, adapt to ultra-low temperatures, and automate critical steps makes it an essential tool for research and development, quality control, and regulatory compliance. By identifying the critical embrittlement temperature, this tester empowers manufacturers to engineer materials and products that perform safely and reliably—even in the harshest cold conditions.

Category: Plastic Tag: Low Temperature Embrittlement Tester

Description
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Cryogenic Brittleness Tester designed to evaluate the embrittlement characteristics of vulcanized rubber and plastic materials under low-temperature conditions. The specimen, fixed on the testing device, is immersed in a low-temperature medium for 5 minutes, then impacted by an indenter at a linear velocity of 2 ± 0.2 m/s. The test concludes with inspecting the specimen for cracks, fissures, holes, or overall failure to determine the minimum temperature at which brittle destruction occurs.

The tester employs a two-stage compressor for rapid cooling, achieving a minimum temperature of -70°C. For temperatures below -70°C, liquid nitrogen can be connected via a spare heat exchanger interface, reaching as low as -120°C. A stirring motor activates the liquid heat transfer medium in the cryogenic bath to ensure optimal temperature uniformity. Capable of testing four specimen sets simultaneously, it uses an automatic rotary positioning fixture to perform impact tests and identify the critical embrittlement temperature.

Compliance Standards

ASTM-D746 (Type A/B), GB/T15256, GB/T5470 (Type B), ISO 812, ISO 974, JIS C3005, JIS K 6723, JIS K7216 (Type A/B), ASTM D2137, etc.

Key Features

Integrated Control System: Large-color LCD touchscreen for intuitive operation, integrating automatic timing, real-time temperature display, and program-based automatic control.

Precision Temperature Control: High-precision PID intelligent temperature control module for stable regulation.

User-Friendly Design: Test chamber equipped with a manual valve discharge port for easy addition and removal of test media.

Uniform Temperature Stirring: Electric motor and fan system ensure thermal homogeneity, using ethanol (provided by the customer) as the heat-conducting medium.

Efficient Refrigeration: French Taikang two-stage fully enclosed air-cooled compressor with an advanced multi-loop, eco-friendly, and energy-saving mechanical compression system. Uses R404A and R23 refrigerants for rapid cooling to -70°C.

Safety Protection

Over-current protection

Temperature over-limit protection

High/low voltage protection

Technical Specifications

Parameter	Specification
Test Temperature Range	Room temperature ~ -70°C
Cooling Method	Two-stage hermetic compressor
Cooling Medium	Ethanol (customer-provided)
Control System	PLC + HMI color LCD touchscreen
Temperature Resolution	0.1°C
Inner Chamber Material	SUS304 stainless steel
Indenter Radius	R1.6 ± 0.1 mm
Impact Speed	2.0 ± 0.2 m/s
Temperature Fluctuation	±0.5°C
Inner Chamber Size	255 × 600 × 160 mm (W×D×H)
Machine Dimensions	915 × 905 × 1530 mm (W×D×H)
Weight	Approx. 450 kg
Power Supply	1#, AC220V, 50/60HZ

Application

Ideal for testing rubber, plastic, and other polymeric materials, supporting research, quality control, and cold-resistance evaluation in material development.

Summary

Combining intelligent control, efficient refrigeration, and precise impact testing, this tester meets multi-standard requirements for low-temperature embrittlement assessment. Its robust design and reliable performance make it a professional solution for evaluating material ductility under extreme cold conditions.

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