Abstract
Cure characteristics and physical properties of carbon black-filled natural rubber (NR) compounds depending on the mixing procedure were studied using the compounds with different pre-final mixing (FM-1) stages. Carbon master batch (MB) and first and second remitting (1RM and 2RM) stages were employed as the FM-1 stage. Bound rubber content of the FM compound decreased with increasing the mixing steps. This was due to the decrease of the molecular weight distribution of the polymer by the rubber chain scission during the mixing. The Mooney viscosity decreased with increasing the mixing steps. Cure characteristics of the compounds were found to be different with the mixing procedures. The cure times of the compound became slower by increasing the number of the mixing steps. This was explained by the length of rubber chain, the carbon black network, distribution of the curatives in the compound, and immobilization of the polymeric segments. Modulus and tensile strength of the vulcanizate did not show a specific trend with the mixing procedure. Fatigue life of the vulcanizate increased by increasing the mixing stages.