Dynamic optimization of the vulcanization of EPDM elastomers by short waves infrared technologies

• This study deals with the off-line optimization of a superficial vulcanization process.
• The superficial vulcanization of EPDM elastomers is performed under near infrared radiation.
• Numerical and experimental approaches are investigated to validate the employed methodology.
• 1D finite difference modeling is developed to simulate the temperatures fields, the vulcanization profiles and the dilatation in the thickness-wise.
• A constraint optimization approach is employed to reach a desired vulcanization profile.

This article deals with the optimization of superficial vulcanization of elastomers by infrared heating. This mode of heating notably used in automotive industry is particularly attractive in the transformation processes of extruded elastomers. The use of infrared emitters working in the short waves range offers the possibility to apply to the surface of the product a great heat flux with a weak thermal inertia. Moreover, the energy directly transmitted is easily adjustable. Consequently, it is necessary to correctly evaluate the energy contribution.In this paper, the incident infrared irradiation and the process time enabling to reach a desired vulcanization profile in the product thickness is estimated off-line by an optimal command method. This estimation is based on the exploitation of a model including both the heat transfer and the vulcanization reaction. The tests are performed with EPDM based elastomer plane plates (8 mm thickness).