Abstract
Knowledge of physical, mainly mechanical, properties of conveyor belt rubbers belongs to important preconditions of trouble-free operation of conveyor belt transportation. Mechanical nature of rubber materials used in belt transportation have among others an immediate effect on the friction between rubber layers of a conveyor belt and a driving drum and/or on the total power consumption.
This knowledge is relevant not only in the case of new belts where it helps their optimal selection with respect to the nature and quantity of transported material but also during monitoring the belt changes caused by operation. Measurements of rubber mechanical properties are mainly performed in dynamical regime, e.g. a sinusoidal stress is applied to the material under test and the properties of materials are expressed by complex shear or Young''s modulus.
Mechanical properties of rubbers at higher frequencies are more often characterized by ultrasound impedance measurements. Motivation of this contribution stems from the potential utility of ultrasound as a non-destructive in situ technique to evaluate and to monitor mechanical properties of materials composing industrial equipment including conveyor belts.
Profound laboratory comparison of both techniques results must precede the industrial employment.