First of all, we must first understand the reasons why EPDM rubber has excellent weather resistance.
EPDM rubber is a copolymer made of ethylene, propylene and a small amount of non-conjugated dienes. From a chemical structure point of view, the main chain of EPDM is composed of saturated hydrocarbons with relatively stable chemical properties. Only some side chains have a small amount of unsaturated double bonds with more active chemical properties. Therefore, the molecular chain structure of EPDM is very stable and has a low degree of protection. This means that it is less likely to be affected by light, ozone, etc. in the environment.
So what can be done to improve the weather resistance of EPDM?
You can start with the diene content. From the above we can conclude that the weather resistance of EPDM rubber is related to those unsaturated double bonds, that is, dienes. As the content of dienes decreases, the weather resistance of EPDM rubber pipes gradually increases. Therefore, when purchasing, choose hoses with low diene content.
In addition, some fillers, such as carbon black, can be added to the raw materials when making EPDM rubber hoses. Carbon black is highly resistant to UV rays and can absorb UV rays to a certain extent. Moreover, the smaller the carbon black particles added and the greater the dosage, the stronger the weather resistance of the EPDM rubber hose produced. However, this can only be used when producing black and dark rubber tubes.