• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.193-200
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• 1998

It is well known that EPDM(ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber has inherently excellent resistance to the weathering, ozone, heat, cold and moisture, whereas crosslinked IIR (isobutylene isoprene divlnyl benzene terpolymer) shows proper resistance to the water and gas permeation. Various characteristics of EPDM blend with crosslinked IIR such as curing characteristics, mechanical properties, dispersion of minor component and gas impermeability were explored. The optimum curing time $(t_{90})$ examined with peroxide was decreased by adding small amount of crosslinked IIR to the EPDM rubber. Mechanical properties of blends such as tensile strength, hardness and elongation at break were enhanced by increasing EPDM content. These results might be explained with the affinity of carbon black to the EPDM rubber. On the other hand, the physical properties were not changed significantly after aging, and the increase of crosslinked IIR fraction caused the decrease of compression set to small rate. EPDM rubber shows different behavior with crosslinked IIR in oxygen permeability. By adding 30wt.% crosslinked IIR to the EPDM rubber, the resistance to the oxygen permeation was improved up to three times than that of pure EPDM rubber. Conclusively, EPDM blend containing 30wt.% crosslinked IIR might be commercially applied to the o-ring and electric parts because of its proper resistance to the weathering, ozone and oxygen permeability.