Viscosity natural rubber

The rubber mix is extruded by a screw through a non-retum valve into a separate chamber from which it is injected into a mould by a simple ram set at an angle to the screw. The tight fitting separate piston gives accurate delivery of the rubber mix allowing more efficient application of ram pressures up to 160 MPa. This pressure can inject even unusually high viscosity natural rubber mixes of Mooney viscosity (ML1+3, 120 °C) up to 100. 

Fatty-acid soaps have some inherent characteristics which make them more acceptable as a means of reducing compound viscosity than do chemical peptizers. Because of their fatty-acid soap base they could eliminate or reduce the need for added fatty acid activators, and considerably reduce the stickiness of low-viscosity natural rubber masterbatches. They can be used in a number of applications where conventional chemical peptizers could cause contamination problems, e.g. in the food industry. They must, however, be used in considerably higher dosages than chemical peptizers. 

Cure Characteristics. Methods of natural rubber production and raw material properties vary from factory to factory and area to area. Consequentiy, the cure characteristics of natural mbber can vary, even within a particular grade. Factors such as maturation, method and pH of coagulation, preservatives, dry mbber content and viscosity-stabilizing agents, eg, hydroxylamine-neutral sulfate, influence the cure characteristics of natural mbber. Therefore the consistency of cure for different grades of mbber is determined from compounds mixed to the ACSl formulation (27). The ACSl formulation is as follows natural mbber, 100 stearic acid, 0.5 zinc oxide, 6.0 sulfur, 3.5 and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), 0.5. 

Other polymers used in the PSA industry include synthetic polyisoprenes and polybutadienes, styrene-butadiene rubbers, butadiene-acrylonitrile rubbers, polychloroprenes, and some polyisobutylenes. With the exception of pure polyisobutylenes, these polymer backbones retain some unsaturation, which makes them susceptible to oxidation and UV degradation. The rubbers require compounding with tackifiers and, if desired, plasticizers or oils to make them tacky. To improve performance and to make them more processible, diene-based polymers are typically compounded with additional stabilizers, chemical crosslinkers, and solvents for coating. Emulsion polymerized styrene butadiene rubbers (SBRs) are a common basis for PSA formulation [121]. The tackified SBR PSAs show improved cohesive strength as the Mooney viscosity and percent bound styrene in the rubber increases. The peel performance typically is best with 24—40% bound styrene in the rubber. To increase adhesion to polar surfaces, carboxylated SBRs have been used for PSA formulation. Blends of SBR and natural rubber are commonly used to improve long-term stability of the adhesives. 

During World War II, polychloroprene was chosen as a replacement for natural rubber because of its availability. Two copolymers of chloroprene and sulphur which contain thiuram disulphide were available (Neoprene GN and CG). One of the first successful applications of these polychloroprene adhesives was for temporary and permanent sole attachment in the shoe industry. However, these polychloroprene cements show a decrease in viscosity on ageing and a black discolouration appears during storage in steel drums. Discolouration was produced by trace amounts of hydrochloric acid produced by oxidation of polychloroprene... 

The reactive extrusion of polypropylene-natural rubber blends in the presence of a peroxide (1,3-bis(/-butyl per-oxy benzene) and a coagent (trimethylol propane triacrylate) was reported by Yoon et al. [64]. The effect of the concentration of the peroxide and the coagent was evaiuated in terms of thermal, morphological, melt, and mechanical properties. The low shear viscosity of the blends increased with the increase in peroxide content initially, and beyond 0.02 phr the viscosity decreased with peroxide content (Fig. 9). The melt viscosity increased with coagent concentration at a fixed peroxide content. The morphology of the samples indicated a decrease in domain size of the dispersed NR phase with a lower content of the peroxide, while at a higher content the domain size increases. The reduction in domain size... 

The calender was developed over a century ago to produce natural rubber products. With the developments of TPs, these multimillion dollar extremely heavy calender lines started using TPs and more recently process principally much more TP materials. The calender consists essentially of a system of large diameter heated precision rolls whose function is to convert high viscosity plastic melt into film, sheet, or coating substrates. The equipment can be arranged in a number of ways with different combinations available to provide different specific advantages to meet different product requirements. Automatic web-thickness profile process control is used via computer, microprocessor control. 

Emulsion polymerization is the most important process for production of elastic polymers based on butadiene. Copolymers of butadiene with styrene and acrylonitrile have attained particular significance. Polymerized 2-chlorobutadiene is known as chloroprene rubber. Emulsion polymerization provides the advantage of running a low viscosity during the entire time of polymerization. Hence the temperature can easily be controlled. The polymerizate is formed as a latex similar to natural rubber latex. In this way the production of mixed lattices is relieved. The temperature of polymerization is usually 50°C. Low-temperature polymerization is carried out by the help of redox systems at a temperature of 5°C. This kind of polymerization leads to a higher amount of desired trans-1,4 structures instead of cis-1,4 structures. Chloroprene rubber from poly-2-chlorbutadiene is equally formed by emulsion polymerization. Chloroprene polymerizes considerably more rapidly than butadiene and isoprene. Especially in low-temperature polymerization emulsifiers must show good solubility and... 

FIGURE 3.27 Plots of shear viscosity against shear rate at 100°C for (a) acrylic rubber (ACM)-silica and (b) epoxidized natural rubber (ENR)-silica hybrid nanocomposites at various silica concentrations. (From Bandyopadhyay, A., De Sarkar, M., and Bhowmick, A.K., Rubber Chem. Technol., 78, 806, 2005. Courtesy of ACS Rubber Division.)... 

When two polymers interact or react with each other, they are likely to provide a compatible, even a miscible, blend. Epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) interacts with chloro-sulfonated polyethylene (Hypalon) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) forming partially miscible and miscible blends, respectively, due to the reaction between chlorosulfonic acid group and chlorine with epoxy group of ENR. Chiu et al. have studied the blends of chlorinated polyethylene (CR) with ENR at blend ratios of 75 25, 50 50, and 25 75, as well as pure rubbers using sulfur (Sg), 2-mercapto-benzothiazole, and 2-benzothiazole disulfide as vulcanizing agents [32]. They have studied Mooney viscosity, scorch... 

FIGURE 16.5 Viscosity changes per mixing step demonstrate QDI reduces the viscosity of natural rubber (NR) compounds. (Note that the viscosities reported are MS(1 +4) or small rotor viscosities.)... 

FIGURE 16.13 Fourth pass viscosity of a multistage mixing experiment of butadiene rubber-natural rubber (BR-NR) and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)-NR blends (60/40) with 50 pbr of N-234 carbon black. 

Lower the viscosity of natural rubber as a result of breaking of the molecular chains to enable problem-free compounding with saving of cost and time. Without the presence of oxygen, mastication would not be possible. The consequence of mastication is a reduction of average molecular weight. 

An aqueous colloid/emulsion of rubber particles can be up to 65% solids content generally low viscosity compared to polymer solutions. Only rubbers produced by emulsion polymerisation or natural rubber can be found in this form. 

Another term for plasticity retention index. Viscosity-Stabilised Natural Rubber... 

Natural rubber of consistent Mooney viscosity storage hardening has been inhibited by incorporating a small quantity of a compound which reacts with the aldehydic groups present in the rubber. 

Oils of the three types are offered in a range of viscosities and this will influence their processing character to some extent, although there is little evidence that it will have much influence on the ultimate compound physical properties, at least in natural rubber compounds. The small additions of oil to a compound help with filler dispersion by lubricating the polymer molecular chains and thus increasing their mobility. There will also be some wetting out of the filler particles which enables them to achieve earlier compatibility with the rubber and improve their distribution and dispersion speed. 

When we compared the viscosities of solutions of natural rubber and of guttapercha and of other elastomers and later of polyethylene vs.(poly)cis-butadiene, with such bulk properties as moduli, densities, X-ray structures, and adhesiveness, we were greatly helped in understanding these behavioral differences by the studies of Wood (6) on the temperature and stress dependent, melting and freezing,hysteresis of natural rubber, and by the work of Treloar (7) and of Flory (8) on the elasticity and crystallinity of elastomers on stretching. Molecular symmetry and stiffness among closely similar chemical structures, as they affect the enthalpy, the entropy, and phase transitions (perhaps best expressed by AHm and by Clapeyron s... 

The chlorination of low molecular weight natural rubber from Guayule (Parthenium Argentatum Grey) has been accomplished. The structure of the chlorinated product is consistent with that of chlorinated Hevea rubber. The use of Azo-bis-isobutyronitrile was as a catalyst resulted in increased chlorine content with a concomitant reduction in molecular weight, thereby allowing the preparation of lower viscosity grades of chlorinated rubber. 

Needless to say, the rheological properties of polymer mixtures are complex and nearly impossible to predict. Figure 4.12 shows the viscosity of a natural rubber (NR)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blend (top curve) as a function of percentage NR [2]. For comparison, the predictions of four common equations are shown. The equations are as follows ... 

Figure 4.12 Viscosity of a natural rubber (NR)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer blend and predictions of Eq. (4.26) through (4.29) at a shear rate of 333 s . Adapted from Z. Oommen, S. Thomas, C. K. Premalatha, and B. Kuriakose, Polymer, 38(22), 5611-5621. Copyright 1997 by Elsevier.

Fig. 16a-

Influence of Interpolymer Properties. As stated earlier, the physical and chemical properties of interpolymers markedly influence the reaction rate after the induction period. If the monomer present yields a polymer comparable in viscosity with the initial mixture the rate of scission will not accelebrate. For example, the polymerization rate of chloroprene on mastication with natural rubber does not increase as markedly with conversion (69), see Fig. 19, as with methyl methacrylate and styrene. The reason is the chloroprene-rubber system remained elastic and softer than the original rubber. 

Because the viscosity of neoprene latex at a given solids content is less than that of natural rubber latex, thickeners are generally needed with the former. Methylcellulose and the water-soluble salts of poly(acrylic acid) are the two most commonly used thickeners. Natural and synthetic gums are also used. 

Styrene-butadiene rubber, or E-SBR as it is known in manufacturing circles, was first developed in the 1930s. Known as Buna S, the compound was prepared by I.G. Farbenindustrie in Germany. Manufacturing styrene-butadiene rubber was through an emulsion polymerization process which produced a material that had a low reaction viscosity, yet had all the attributes of natural rubber. 

BIO, Bristow, G. M., and W. F. Watson Viscosity-equilibrium swelling correlations for natural rubber cohesive energy densities of polymers. Part 2. Cohesive energy densities from viscosity measurements. Trans. Faraday Soc. 54, 1567, 1742 (1958). 

Nakajima and Hamel50 have derived expressions for calculating shear stresses from the Mooney torque values to give viscosities in agreement with those obtained from other instruments, and also an expression to correct for the edge effects.51 Bristow52 derived non-standard Mooney parameters for natural rubbers to improve the distinction between different grades. 

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