Study on hardness of the 35-year-old structural gasket used at the observation hut in Syowa Station

Abstract

A structural gasket at the observation hut in Syowa Station has been in use for 35 years. We studied the hardness of the original structural gasket during the 43rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition. We tested that of the new article, and the results are assumed to be an initial value. The structural gasket at the northwest section of the station deteriorated to a greater extent than did the structural gasket at the southeast section, because of the former's exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The exterior and interior components of the northwest structural gasket show similar degrees of degradation. This structural gasket has hardened by 10 % relative to the new structural gasket. The 35-year-old structural gasket contains no large cracks, indicating its suitability for continual use.