A-A-59588 3B Silicones

This white paper describes SSP’s A-A-59588 3B silicones. These aerospace materials pass the DeMattia Flex Resistance Test.

Important: This article contains additional information about SSP’s flex-fatigue resistant silicones.

Specialty Silicone Products (SSP) is announcing the release of a new white paper that describes the company’s 3B certified silicones with high flex-fatigue resistance. The Ballston Spa, New York (USA) manufacturer supplies military and aerospace silicones that meet the full requirements of the A-A-59588 3B specification – with no exceptions for flexural testing. 

Other suppliers claim that their silicones meet the A-A-59588 3B standard, but these materials only meet its non-flexural requirements (such as tensile strength). By contrast, SSP supplies elastomers that pass the DeMattia Flexural Resistance test. These silicones have been independently-tested and certified to meet the flexural requirements of A-A-59588, Class 3B for Grades 50 and 60 (with Class 70 pending). 

A-A-59588 3B Silicones and the DeMattia Flexural Text

As SSP’s white paper explains, the A-A-59588 standard is published by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and contains six alphanumeric classes or sections. Each A-A-59588 class specifies multiple material properties, but only Classes 3A and 3B include requirements for flex-fatigue resistance. Each class also contains grades that correspond to a silicone’s hardness or durometer (Shore A). 

Fully-compliant A-A-59588, Class 3B silicones must pass the DeMattia Flex Resistance Test, a dynamic test that measures crack growth in inches over thousands of flexural cycles. The ASTM D813 – 07(2014) Standard Test Method for Rubber Deterioration–Crack Growth defines this testing protocol. ASTM D813 also defines the flex-testing requirements that meet A-A-59588, Class 3B requirements.

SSP-200T (Grade 50) and SSP-392 (Grade 60) 3B Silicones

SSP’s new white paper describes how the company submitted test specimens of SSP-200T, a 50-durometer silicone with strong flex-resistance, to Akron Rubber Development Laboratory (ARDL), an A2LA accredited testing lab and an ISO 9001:2008 company. Even at 140,000 flex cycles, ARDL determined that SSP’s specimens did not exceed the 0.500-in. standard in the DeMatia Flex Resistance Test.

Request SSP’s white paper to review the ARDL test data for SSP-200T, and to compare this 50-durometer silicone’s other material properties to the A-A-59588, Class 3B, Grade 50 specification. SSP’s white paper also describes SSP-392, a 60-durometer silicone with strong flex-fatigue resistance that meets 3B Grade 60 requirements. For more information, email Dominic Testo at Specialty Silicone Products.