ISO 5603:2017

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 5603
Fourth edition
2017-07
Rubber, vulcanized — Determination
of adhesion to wire cord
Caoutchouc vulcanisé — Détermination de l’adhérence à un câble
métallique
Reference number
©
ISO 2017
© ISO 2017, Published in Switzerland
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ii © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Principle . 2
5 Materials . 2
6 Apparatus . 2
7 Calibration .11
8 Test piece .11
8.1 Form .11
8.2 Dimensions .13
8.3 Preparation .13
8.3.1 General.13
8.3.2 Method 1 .13
8.3.3 Method 2 .14
8.3.4 Both methods . .14
9 Procedure.14
10 Expression of results .16
11 Test report .16
Annex A (normative) Calibration schedule .17
Foreword
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electrotechnical standardization.
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different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
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URL: w w w . i s o .org/ iso/ foreword .html
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 45, rubber and rubber products,
Subcommittee SC 2, Testing and analysis.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition (ISO 5603:2011), of which it constitutes a
minor revision to update the normative references in Clause 2.
iv © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 5603:2017(E)
Rubber, vulcanized — Determination of adhesion to wire
cord
WARNING 1 — Persons using this document should be familiar with normal laboratory practice.
This document does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its
use. It is the responsibility of the user to establish appropriate safety and health practices and to
ensure compliance with any national regulatory conditions.
WARNING 2 — Certain procedures specified in this document might involve the use or generation
of substances, or the generation of waste, that could constitute a local environmental hazard.
Reference should be made to appropriate documentation on safe handling and disposal after use.
1 Scope
This document specifies two methods for determining the adhesion strength of vulcanized rubber to
wire cord which is embedded in the rubber.
The two methods do not necessarily give the same results.
They are applicable primarily to test pieces prepared in the laboratory under standard conditions
and used for the development and control of materials and processes utilized in the manufacture of
products reinforced with wire cord.
NOTE The methods can also be used for single wire, for example bead wire.
Method 1 reduces the dependence of the measured adhesion on the modulus and strength properties of
the rubber.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 2393, Rubber test mixes — Preparation, mixing and vulcanization — Equipment and procedures
ISO 5893:2002, Rubber and plastics test equipment — Tensile, flexural and compression types (constant
rate of traverse) — Specification
ISO 18899:2013, Rubber — Guide to the calibration of test equipment
ISO 23529, Rubber — General procedures for preparing and conditioning test pieces for physical test methods
3 Terms and definitions
No terms and definitions are listed in this document.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http:// www .iso .org/ obp
4 Principle
The adhesion strength is determined by measuring the force required to pull out a single cord from the
surrounding rubber of a prepared test piece. The force is directed along the axis of the cord, using a test
jig containing a suitably chosen circular- or square-shaped hole to ensure uniformity of stress.
Test pieces of cord and rubber are prepared together by vulcanizing them under pressure.
In method 1, the exterior surface of the rubber is suitably reinforced.
In method 2, such reinforcement is not employed.
5 Materials
5.1 Wire cord, conforming to the specification of the bonding system to be investigated. If no
specification is given, brass-plated steel cord of construction (1 × 3 × 0,15) mm + (6 × 0,27) mm or of
construction (7 × 4 × 0,22) mm shall be used.
NOTE The sizes of the cords are defined here in terms of their diameter and the number of component wires,
starting from the centre core of the cord.
For quality control of cord, it shall be tested in the condition received, i.e. neither cleaned nor dried.
It is essential that the wire cord be stored in a dry atmosphere to prevent any surface deterioration.
Storage can conveniently be carried out in an airtight container which also contains a desiccating
material (for example silica, SiO ). The container shall only be opened when removing wire cord and
shall then be closed immediately. It is also essential that the cord not be contaminated with dust from
the desiccating material.
5.2 Unvulcanized rubber compound, conforming to the specification of the bonding system to be
investigated. Whenever possible, the rubber shall be freshly milled. If for any reason the rubber cannot
be remilled, the surface shall be freshened by wiping with a solvent and allowed to dry. The preferred
solvent is heptane, but a suitable alternative could be a petroleum solvent with a distillation range of
about 65 °C to 125 °C; these solvents shall possess a maximum residue on evaporation of 3 mg per
100 cm of solvent. The compound shall be stored at a standard laboratory temperature of (23 ± 2) °C
or (27 ± 2) °C prior to use. It can be in the form of calendered sheet of suitable thickness and shall be
protected by a dark-coloured polyethylene film.
5.3 Reinforcement material, to stiffen the rubber block. This applies only to method 1. The
reinforcement can either be a sheet metal strip treated with adhesive promoter (when the thickness t is
at least 0,5 mm) or a strip of rigid rubberized steel cord fabric. A suitable fabric is one containing steel
cords of high bending stiffness, for example one of construction (1 × 3 × 0,30) mm + (6 × 0,38) mm [when
the thickness t is (2,5 ± 0,1) mm maximum].
6 Apparatus
6.1 Mould, capable of producing a test piece in which a multiplicity of cords is embedded equally
spaced along its length. Different moulds are employed for the two methods.
a) Method 1
The mould is of a semi-follow-on type to obtain maximum consolidation of rubber around the cord
during the pressing stage, but thereafter becomes a fixed-cavity mould.
One suitable mould designed to accommodate steel cord fabric reinforcement is shown in Figure 1.
This mould produces test pieces of length 310 mm containing 21 cords, but similar moulds employing
other numbers of cords greater than nine are acceptable. The mould dimension x will depend on the
embedded length of test piece required (which is governed by the diameter of wire cord used, see
2 © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

8.2). The mould shall be provided with pairs of inserts or spacers to obtain the different lengths of
cord embedment. Dimension y is sufficiently great to allow the incorporation of excess rubber during
moulding (see 8.3.1).
Another suitable mould designed to accommodate steel strip reinforcement is shown in Figure 2. A
tensioning device for the cords can be used with this mould. Figure 3 details some mould dimensions
and describes the exchangeable steel spacers which are required for different cord sizes for the moulds
shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Any mould producing test pieces of the correct dimensions and applying the moulding force directly on
to the rubber, for example by use of a suitable spring, is also acceptable.
If desired, the moulds can impart suitable features on to the moulded test piece to facilitate cord
centring during subsequent testing.
Key
1 extraction tool 5 pair of steel spacers
2 semi-follow-on lid 6 bottom spacers
3 ram 7 steel cord
4 top spacers
Figure 1 — Layout of
...