Rubber and its products in the processing, storage and use, due to the combined effect of internal and external factors caused by the progressive deterioration of rubber physical and chemical properties and mechanical properties, and finally the loss of use value, this change is called rubber aging. The surface showed cracks, sticky, hardening, softening, chalking, discoloration, mildew and so on.

Heat: temperature increase can cause the rubber pyrolysis or thermal crosslinking. However, the basic effect of heat or activation. Increase the rate of diffusion of oxygen and activation of the oxidation reaction, thereby accelerating the oxidation reaction rate of the rubber, which is a common phenomenon of aging - thermal aging.

Light: the shorter the wave, the greater the energy. Rubber from the damaging effects of higher energy ultraviolet light. In addition to direct ultraviolet rays cause breakage and crosslinked rubber molecular chain, the rubber due to absorption of light energy to produce free radicals initiate and accelerate the oxidation chain reaction process. After heating the outside light plays role. Another characteristic of the optical effect of its director (with different thermal action) is that it is mainly in the rubber surface into the students. Gum containing sample rate, and net cracks will appear on both sides of the so-called "outer light crack."

Oxygen, oxygen in rubber rubber molecules occurs with radical chain reaction, molecular chain was broken or excessive crosslinking to cause a change of rubber properties. Oxidation is one of the important reasons for the aging of rubber.

Ozone, chemically active oxygen ozone is much higher, more destructive, it also is the molecule chain was broken, but the effects of ozone on the case of the rubber with different deformation of rubber or not. As for the deformation of the rubber (mostly unsaturated rubber) occurs when the stress crack straight direction, i.e., so-called "ozone cracking"; when applied to deform a rubber, not only the surface oxide film cracks.

Water: the role of water in two ways: in the humid air to rain or rubber soaked in water, easy to destroy, this is due to the rubber water-soluble substance and a hydrophilic group and other ingredients are dissolved water extraction, hydrolysis or absorption and other causes. Particularly in the alternate action of water immersion and atmospheric exposure, it will accelerate the destruction of rubber. But in some cases they can not afford to water damaging effects on the rubber, and even slow down the aging effect.

Oil: rubber products during use if the oil medium and long-term exposure, oil can penetrate into the interior to produce rubber swell, resulting in strength and other mechanical properties of rubber is low. Oil rubber can swell, because the oil is infiltrated rubber, produced a molecular interdiffusion, so that a network structure is changed vulcanizates.