MIL-HDBK-695 Rubber Products: Recommended Shelf LifeThis handbook provides guidance for establishing time periods for the expected life of elastomeric products during shelf storage. The use of the expected shelf storage lives listed herein is NOT MADE MANDATORY by this handbook. This handbook is for guidance only and cannot be cited as a requirement. The decision as to whether or not a product will have a limit placed upon the time that it may remain in storage is a function of the agency responsible for the products ultimate use.

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MIL-HDBK-695E

2.         APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

2.1  General.   The documents listed below are not all of the documents referenced herein.  See

4.4.1 - 4.4.3 for information on how specifications are referenced within this handbook.

2.2   Government documents.  Government documents are available from https://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/  or from the Standardization Document Order Desk,

700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094).

2.3  Non-Government publications.  The following documents form a part of this document to the extent specified herein.

SAE AS1933              Age Controls for Hose Containing Age-Sensitive Elastomeric

Material. (DoD adopted)

SAE ARP5316            Storage of Aerospace Elastomeric Seals and Seal Assemblies Which Include an Elastomer Element Prior to Hardware Assembly. (DoD adopted)

SAE J517                    Hose, Hydraulic. (DoD adopted)

(Copies of these documents are available online at https://www.sae.org  or from SAE International, 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA  15096-0001.)

3.         DEFINITIONS

3.1  Age resistance - Resistance to deterioration in storage by environmental factors, such as heat, light and ozone.

3.2  Cure date - The date the rubber is fully cured.  Two methods in expressing the cure date are as follows:

a.   Shelf life to a maximum of 3 years.  Cure date stated in terms of month of calendar year and the year, e.g., 6-83.

b.   Shelf life in excess of 3 years.  Cure date stated in terms of the quarter of calendar year and the year, e.g., 2Q-83.

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