Storing Rubber And Plastic Parts | 5 Tips You Need To Know
Summer is in full swing across the nation and temperatures are rising. Both rubber and plastic can be reactive to changes in environment, making storage critically important for maintaining the integrity of your parts. Several factors such as exposure to oxygen, ozone, light, heat, humidity, oils, water, or other solvents can affect the performance of your rubber and plastic parts. These factors can be minimized by proper storage conditions. 1. CONTROL STORAGE TEMPERATURE Materials can change in dimension based upon exposure to extreme temperatures. In particular, rubber is susceptible to these changes because it has a high coefficient of friction. It is ideal to keep materials stored in temperatures between 40°F and 80°F. Higher temps will cause products to soften, while colder temps cause stiffening. If your parts are out of tolerance after being stored, be sure to allow them to stabilize for 24 hours in a milder environment. 2. CONTROL STORAGE HUMIDITY So