Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Terpolymer EPDM Compounds

3 Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Terpolymer (EPDM) Compounds 

Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Terpolymer (EPDM) is used for weather protection, tire sidewalls and coverstrips, wire, cable, mechanical goods, sheeting, hoses, tubing, and plastics modification and TPO. EPDM can be modified with silicone to reinforce high temperature performance of silicone and mechanical and physical strength of EPDM. Maleated EPDM (0.5 to 1.0%) is used to toughen nylon (impact modifier of nylon) and polyester thermoplastics (impact modifier for polycarbonate and polyester/carbonate alloys, PVC). Typical EPDM recipes are 

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Thioureas mainly find use for the vulcanisation of CR, epichlorohydrin (ECO) and some ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) compounds. They show high crosslinking activity, with usually adequate compound flow time before onset of the crosslinking. In EPDMs, the thioureas are used as activators for low activity third monomer types and, in the presence of calcium oxide desiccants, in free state vulcanisation of extrudates, etc. The use of thioureas can overcome the retardation caused by the desiccant. In this case some care must be taken otherwise overcompensation may occur. Thioureas are not used in food product applications and are a known health hazard, particularly for pregnant women. 

Post and co-workers [49] have used TG-FTIR to study the outgassing of a plasticiser (type and amount) from an ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM) compound. Figure 1.6 shows the thermogravimetric decomposition behaviour of the EPDM compound. The plasticiser emerges in the first mass-loss step, which was identified as adipic acid diisobutylester by on-line infrared analysis. 

Red lead is an ingredient generally used in all Neoprene compounds for tank linings for good water and chemical resistance. But it should not be used in compounds of Neoprene designed for contact with food or potable water. Tubes or pipes for conveying potable water are made of ethylene-propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) rubbers. 

Assis et al. (2005) extracted and concentrated the volatile compounds of the coffee beverage via PV using a flat membrane of ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM). Shepherd et al. (2002) used PDMS hfs for orange juice aroma recovery. Zhang et al. (2006) used CA membranes for PV separation of a methanol-Cs mixture. 

Ethylene propylene diene terpolymers (EPDM) can be used to improve the ozone resistance of bromobutyl/natural rubber binary polymer blends, eliminating the need for chemical antiozonants. Addition of 10 phr of EPDM (with a high ethylidene norbornene, ENB, content of9%) to a 50/50 bromobutyl rubber/natural rubber blend results in a compound vdth good static and dynamic ozone resistance. EPDM with a 5.7% ENB level is another suggested grade of polymer. 

Dithiophosphates. These compounds (13) are made by reaction of an alcohol with phosphoms pentasulfide, then neutralization of the dithiophosphoric acid with a metal oxide. Like xanthates, dithiophosphates contain no nitrogen and do not generate nitrosamines during vulcanization. Dithiophosphates find use as high temperature accelerators for the sulfur vulcanization of ethylene—propylene—diene (EPDM) terpolymers. 

EPDM is a terpolymer of ethylene, propylene, and a small amount of an unsaturated diene as a third monomer to provide a cure site. Unlike the elastomers previously discussed, the unsaturation in EPDM is not in the main chain, but it is pendent to the chain. Peroxide-based cure systems afford better aging resistance and low compression set. A comparison of a sulfur-based cure to two different peroxides in EPDM is shown in Table 21 (4). Initial properties for these three compounds are reasonably close. However, after air aging, the advantages of peroxide curing are apparent. Most dramatic is the improved compression set... 

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