• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.235-242
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• 2003

A vulcanization reaction characteristics of an isoprene rubber (IR)-modified natural rubber/carbon black (NR/CB) composite was studied using in-situ electrical property measuring technique. Since the electrical conductivity of the sample composite would be changed continuously during the vulcanization reaction by rearranging of the carbon black particles within the sample, volume resistivity (${\rho}$) might be obtained as a function or reaction time. A stabilization time ($t_i$), maximum reaction speed time ($t_p$), and volume resistivity at that time(${\rho}_p$) were defined from the data for the Arrhenius analysis. Volume resistivity ${\rho}$ showed a comparatively high value of ${\sim}10^8$ order before the reaction started, and dramatically decreased to be stabilized within $1{\sim}2$ minutes as soon as the reaction started. As the more time elapsed, thereafter, ${\rho}$ decreased monotonously to a certain constant value through a peak, ${\rho}_p$ at time $t_p$, which was considered as the maximum reaction rate. As a result, while $t_i$ values were comparatively constant as $1{\sim}2$ minutes, $t_p$ values showed to become shorter and shorter as the reaction temperature.