Rubber compounds formulations

I have three examples and will start with the design of fuel additives, which is a somewhat simpler molecular structure design problem. Then I will mention rubber compounds formulation, a material design issue. Finally, I will mention some ongoing effort in the area of catalysts. 

Figure 3.5 shows a plot of hardness against volume fraction of filler [ISAF (intermediate super abrasion furnace) black] in the vulcanizate base on the rubber compound formulations shown in Table 3.1. Hardness is defined as the resistance to surface indentation as measured under specified conditions. It is a non-destructive test that measures the reversible deformation when an... 

Crystallization. Some elastomers crystallize at temperatures that can significantly impact processing and vulcanizate behavior. Thus it is necessary to account for these behaviors when developing rubber compound formulations and processes. Crystallization is manifested by stiffening and hardening of the raw polymer, uncured compounded polymer, and the vulcanized polymer. Elastomers that crystallize will do so on stretching and thereby exhibit increased tensile strength. Those elastomers (eg polychloroprene and natural rubber) will... 

Rubber compounder, formulator Textile chemist Textile colorist, formulator Textile technologist Tower-control man... 

Hard products may also be made by vulcanising rubber (natural or synthetic) using only about two parts of sulphur per 100 parts of rubber. In these cases either the so-called high-styrene resins or phenolie rubber compounding resins are ineorporated into the formulation. These compounds are processed using the methods of rubber technology but, like those of ebonite, the produets are more akin to plastics than to rubbers. Examples of the usage of these materials are to be found in battery boxes, shoe heels and ear washer brushes. 

Tsai et al. have also used RAIR to investigate reactions occurring between rubber compounds and plasma polymerized acetylene primers deposited onto steel substrates [12J. Because of the complexities involved in using actual rubber formulations, RAIR was used to examine primed steel substrates after reaction with a model rubber compound consisting of squalene (100 parts per hundred or phr), zinc oxide (10 phr), carbon black (10 phr), sulfur (5 phr), stearic acid (2 phr). 

The B-series of silica samples were also blended with rubber and the compound formulation is shown in Table 17.6. The uncured gums were then tested according to ISO 5794-2 1998. The uncured samples were tested using a Mooney viscometer and an RPA, which measures the dynamic mechanical properties as the samples cure. Figure 17.7 shows the results of these two tests for the Mooney viscosity at 100°C, storage modulus, loss modulus, and tan 8. 

Standardisation of EPDM characterisation tests (molecular composition, stabiliser and oil content) for QC and specification purposes was reported [64,65]. Infrared spectroscopy (rather than HPLC or photometry) is recommended for the determination of the stabiliser content (hindered phenol type) of EP(D)M [65]. Determination of the oil content of oil-extended EPDM is best carried out by Soxhlet extraction using MEK as a solvent [66], A round robin test was reported that evaluated the various techniques currently used in the investigation of unknown rubber compounds (passenger tyre tread stock formulations) [67]. 

Analytical techniques used in troubleshooting and formulation experimentation available to the rubber compounder were reviewed [90]. Various textbooks deal with the analysis of rubber and rubber-like polymers [10,38,91]. Forrest [38] has illustrated the use of wet chemistry, spectroscopic, chromatographic, thermal, elemental and microscopy techniques in rubber analysis. 

Figure 20 shows the GC-MS chromatogram for the water extractables from a standard rubber compound NR2 of the formulation given in Table 8. 

Advances in quality control requirements for rubber compounds have demanded that special care is exercised in the weighing of the various fillers and critical small volume powders necessary for the formulation. Ingredient weighing systems are available which can be tailored to the specific requirements of individual factories. Additional components can include conveyors, bagging units and pneumatic conveyance systems. 

The state of the art in friction and wear of PTFE-filled rubbers include the effects of many important system parameters, such as the composition of the rubber formulation, particle dispersion, bulk mechanical properties, ability of transfer film formation, and the chemistry between PTFE powder and the rubber matrix. Although the present study has explicitly highlighted the potential of PTFE powder in rubber matrixes with significant property improvements in the friction, wear, and physical properties, it has simultaneously opened a new field regarding the use of PTFE powder in rubber compounds, with some challenging tasks for chemists, engineers, and material scientists. 

The basic compounding formulation specifies the minimum requirement of fillers, vulcanizing agents, and other substances that must be added to the rubber compound to achieve the desired properties. After the rubber, cure system and reinforcing filers have been selected it will be necessary to make several adjustments before all requirements are satisfied. It is generally sensible to start with the simplest mix formula for meeting the requirements. The recipe or the formula is usually written on the basis of hundred parts of rubber. For example if 5 parts of zinc oxide is to be added it is denoted as 5 phr (five parts per hundred rubber). Elementary compounding... 

The percentage sulphur (determined in the un-vulcanized reclaim) and the available rubber hydrocarbon are taken into consideration while evolving the compound formulation. It should be noted that reclaimed rubber is not all rubber. In arriving at the total rubber content in the rubber formulation containing reclaim, allowance must be made for its rubber content. For example in the following blend of smoked sheet and whole tyre reclaim, the total rubber content is to be considered as 100 parts instead of 125 parts as below and the proportion of other ingredients should be worked out accordingly on "parts per hundred rubber" (phr) basis. 

To get proper rubber to fabric adhesion the fabric must be quite dry and evenly coated with the adhesive and adequately dried up. Defective adhesion occurs due to contamination by surface blooming of ingredients. Sulphur blooms can be eliminated by the use of insoluble sulphur. Waxy softeners which bloom at the surface should be avoided in compounding formulations. 

Torque rheometers are multipurpose instruments well suited for formulating multicomponent polymer systems, studying flow behavior, thermal sensitivity, shear sensitivity, batch compounding, and so on. The instrument is applicable to thermoplastics, rubber (compounding, cure, scorch tests), thermoset materials, and liquid materials. 

A number of undesirable substances could be present on the surface or sorbed into the matrix of the closures, but the predominant contaminants are particles of the closure matrix itself, other rubber compounds, metallic particles, micro-organisms, endotoxins, and template lubricants, which are usually organic in nature. In addition, various extractable substances used in the formulation of... 

---