This part of ISO 1431 specifies procedures intended for use in estimating the resistance of vulcanized or thermoplastic rubbers to cracking when exposed, under static or dynamic tensile strain, to air containing a definite concentration of ozone and at a definite temperature in circumstances that exclude the effects of direct light.

Great caution is necessary in attempting to relate standard test results to service performance since the relative ozone resistance of different rubbers can vary markedly depending on the conditions, especially ozone concentration and temperature. In addition, tests are carried out on thin test pieces deformed in tension and the significance of attack for articles in service can be quite different owing to the effects of size and of the type and magnitude of the deformation. Explanatory notes on the nature of ozone cracking are given in Annex A.

Reference and alternative methods for determining the ozone concentration are described in ISO 1431‑3.