Concerning the still rising demand for oil and gas products, the development of new reliable materials to guarantee the facility safety at extreme operating conditions is an utmost necessity. The present study mainly deals with the influence of different carbon black (CB) filled hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR), which is a material usually used in sealing applications, on the rapid gas decompression (RGD) resistance in harsh environments. Therefore, RGD component level tests were conducted in an autoclave. The supporting mechanical and dynamic mechanical property analysis, the microscopic level investigations on the material and failure analysis were conducted and are discussed in this work. Under the tested conditions, the samples filled with smaller CB primary particles showed a slightly lower volume increase during the compression and decompression phases; however, they steered to a significantly lower resistance to RGD. Transmission electron micrographs revealed that the samples filled with smaller CB particles formed larger structures as well as densified filler networks including larger agglomerates and as a consequence a decrease effective matrix component around the CB particles. Apparently, at higher loading conditions, which already deliver a certain level of mechanical stresses and strains, the densified filler network, and especially a lower amount of effective matrix material composition, adversely affect the RGD resistance. SEM-based fracture analysis did not identify any influence of the CB grades tested on the crack initiation site; however, it revealed that the cracks initiated from existing voids, hard particles, or low strength matrix sites and propagated to the outer surface.
Keywords: HNBR; carbon black; elastomers; oil and gas; rapid gas decompression.