• Elastomers and Composites
• /
• v.53 no.3
• /
• pp.124-130
• /
• 2018

Recently, microwaves have been used for desulfurization because they can selectively dissociate C-S and S-S bonds present in vulcanized rubber. In this study, we investigated the changes in structural and physical properties of EPDM (Ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber by irradiating it with microwaves for different durations. The surface chemical composition of the irradiated EPDM rubber was analyzed by FT-IR, XPS, and EDS analyses. It was confirmed by XPS that C-S and S-S S2p peak heights greatly decreased when microwave irradiation was performed for more than 5 min. In the EPDM sample irradiated with microwaves for 10 min, the number of S-O bonds significantly increased owing to oxidation. As the microwave irradiation time was increased, SEM images showed cracks and voids on the EPDM surface. The 20% decomposition temperature of the EPDM rubber sample was investigated by TGA, and it was found to be about $435.23^{\circ}C$ for the EPDM rubber irradiated for 10 min. The crosslinking density of the EPDM rubber was determined by measuring the degree of swelling, and the highest value was observed for the E5 sample irradiated for 5 min. The degree of swelling of the E10 sample irradiated for 10 min was lower than that of the E5 sample. These results indicate that when irradiated with microwaves for more than a certain time, desulfurization occurs and the side chain of the EPDM rubber dissociates and forms additional crosslinking bonds.

• Elastomers and Composites
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.156-176
• /
• 1999

Rubber chemicals such as accelerators, antidegradants, vulcanizing agents, processing agents and retarders are very important to the production and protection of tires and rubber goods. The use of accelerators and antidegradants are evaluated in various tire components. This paper will focus on how to vulcanize tires economically and maintain the physical properties of each tire component without severe degradation due to oxygen, heat and ozone. Also, new non-nitrosoamine accelerators and non-staining antiozonants will be discussed. Lastly, the future requirements of antidegradants and accelerators in the tire industry will be reviewed. Tires have been vulcanized with Sulfenamides as primary accelerators and either Guamdine's or Thiurams as secondary accelerators to achieve proper properties at service conditions. However, interior components such as the carcass can be vulcanized with Thiazoles as a primary accelerator to cure faster than the external components. Using the combination of Sulfenamide with secondary accelerators in a tire tread compound and the combination of a Thiazole and Guanidine in a carcass compound will be presented with performance data. Uniroyal Chemical and another Rubber Chemical Manufacturer have developed, "Tetrabenzyl Thiuram Disulfide," (TBzTD) as a non-Nitrosoamine accelerator, which could replace Nitrosoamine generating Thiurams. This new accelerator has been evaluated in a tread compound as a secondary accelerator. Also, Flexsys has developed N-t-butyl-2-benzothiazole Sulfenamide (TBSI) as a non-Nitrosoamine accelerator which could replace 2-(Morpholinothio) -benzothiazole (MBS), a scorch delayed Sulfendamide accelerator. TBSI has been evaluated in a Natural Rubber (NR) belt skim compound vs. MBS. An optimum low rolling resistant cure system has been developed in a NR tread with Dithiomorpholine (DTDM). Also, future requirements for developing accelerators will be discussed such as the replacement of DTDM and other stable crosslink systems. Antidegradants are divided into two different types for use in tire compounds. Internal tire compounds such as apex, carcass, liner, wire breaker, cushion, base tread and bead compounds are protected by antioxidants against degradation from oxygen and heat due to mechanical shear. The external components such as sidewall, chafer and cap tread com-pounds are protected from ozone by antiozonants and waxes. Various kinds of staining and non-staining antioxidants have been evaluated in a tire carcass compound. Also, various para-phenylene diamine antiozonants have been evaluated in a tire sidewall compound to achieve the improved lifetime of the tire. New non-staining antiozonants such as 2, 4, 6-tris-(N-1, 4-dimethylpentyl-p-phenylene diamine) 1, 3, 5 Trizine (D-37) and un-saturated Acetal (AFS) will be discussed in the tire sidewall to achieve better appearance. The future requirements of antidegradants will be presented to improve tire performance such as durability, better appearance and longer lasting tires.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.300-305
• /
• 2010

Poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET) tire cord has relatively lower adhesion properties caused by limited reacting sites. In order to improve the adhesion force between PET tire cord and rubber, an additional process to activate surface of PET has been employed. Atmospheric plasma was used to substitute the chemical finishing process of PET tire cord as a green dipping process. Contact angle was measured to confirm surface change of PET after plasma treatment. The treated PET tire cords with/without resorcinol-formaldehyde-latex(RFL) and unvulcanized rubber were vulcanized in a testing mold at $160^{\circ}C$. After atmospheric plasma treatment of PET tire cord, adhesion force was somewhat increased under some conditions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
• /
• 2005.06a
• /
• pp.1668-1671
• /
• 2005

Vulcanized natural rubber was pulverized using a single screw extruder in a non-cryogenic Solid Shear Extrusion process where rubber granulates were subjected to high compressive and shear stresses. The producted particles had diameters ranging from 40 to 1200$\{mu}m$. A principle used in this paper was developed in Russia. The development method for producing a polymeric material powder consists in compressing said material by shearing the material during a pressure increase and cooling. Consecutive breakdown is carried out by shearing the material during the pressure decrease and cooling.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.166-171
• /
• 2005

EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer)/silicone rubber blends were prepared and the influence of a compatibilizer and thermal aging on the properties of the blends was investigated. The blends of which the compositions were varied in the range of 90/10 through $10/90\;wt\%$ were melt mixed by using a Brabender Plasticoder (internal mixer) and were vulcanized by a hot press. The morphology of the vulcanized EPDM/SR blends was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). After the thermal Aging for 24, 48, 96 hrs at $100^{\circ}C$ in an air oven, hardness, tensile strength, elongation and contact angle of the blends were investigated. From the result of the morphology, it was confirmed that the domain size of the blends containing the compatibilizer was reduced. As the increase of the thermal aging time, hardness and tensile strength of the blends decreased but elongation and contact angle increased.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.5 no.6
• /
• pp.990-997
• /
• 1994

The vulcanized NR and blend films were prepared with mixing of natural rubber latex (NRL) and methyl methacrylated grafted latex(MGL) with various additives by dipping process. It was investigated the basic properties of vulcanized NR films that is optimum condition of the mature time, swelling degree, cure time at $110^{\circ}C$, and measured the mechanical properties of tensile strength and elongation of its condition. In order to identify the surface structure and the slip properties of blend films contact angles and static and kinetic friction coefficient were measured. Contact angles were decreased with increment of blend ratio of MGL, and static and kinetic friction coefficient were decreased rapidly for the NR/MG and NR-d-MG films than for the NR films. From the results, NR/MG and NR-d-MG films has slip's reinforcement in skin contact surface with increased of blend ratio of MGL.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.717-725
• /
• 2018

One of the most important design criteria in military tunnels and armoured doors is to resist the blast loads with minimum structural weight. This can be achieved by using steel sandwich panels. In this paper, the nonlinear behaviour of steel sandwich panels, with different core materials: (1) Hollow (no core material); (2) Rigid Polyurethane Foam (RPF); and (3) Vulcanized Rubber (VR) under free air blast loads, was investigated using detailed 3D nonlinear finite element models in Ansys Autodyn. The accuracy of the finite element model proposed was verified using available experimental test data of a similar steel sandwich panel tested. The results show the developed finite element model can be reliably used to simulate the nonlinear behaviour of the steel sandwich panels under free air blast loads. The verified finite element model was used to examine the different parameters of the steel sandwich panel with different core materials. The result shows that the sandwich panel with RPF core material is more efficient than the VR sandwich panel followed by the Hollow sandwich panels. The average maximum displacement of RPF sandwich panel under different ranges of TNT charge (1 kg to 10 kg at a standoff distance of 1 m) is 49% and 53% less than the VR and Hollow sandwich panels, respectively. Detailed empirical design equations were provided to quantify the maximum deformation of the steel sandwich panels with different core materials and core thickness under a different range of blast loads. The developed equations can be used as a guide for engineer to design steel sandwich panels with RPF and VR core material under a different range of free air blast loads.

• Elastomers and Composites
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.326-333
• /
• 2003

Even though many studies have been reported about rubber vulcanization, it is still remained difficult to find a quantitative relationship between the final states of vulcanized rubber and initial formulation or processing conditions. Dynamic differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method is known as a comparatively easy method to research for the rubber vulcanization in both experimental and analysis. In the present research, a study on the vulcanization reaction of NR/CB composites modified by isoprene(IR) and chloroprene(CR) rubbers is carried out using dynamic DSC method. Thermograms with several different heating rates were obtained and analyzed using the Kissinger method. Analysis showed that the vulcanization reaction was progressed through the first order reaction mechanism. In addition, the reaction temperature was severely influenced by the kinds or rubber modifiers, in this case, more influenced by CR than by IR. Those effects were clearly verified in the values of activation energy. Kinds of carbon blacks, however, could hardly influence on the reaction mechanism.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
• /
• v.19 no.6
• /
• pp.1229-1242
• /
• 2005

When natural rubber is used for a long period of time, it becomes aged; it usually becomes hardened and loses its damping capability. This aging process affects not only the material property but also the (fatigue) life of natural rubber. In this paper the aging effects on the material property and the fatigue life were experimentally investigated. In addition, several fatigue life prediction equations for natural rubber were proposed. In order to investigate the aging effects on the material property, the load-stretch ratio curves were plotted from the results of the tensile test, the compression test and the simple shear test for virgin and heat-aged rubber specimens. Rubber specimens were heat-aged in an oven at a temperature ranging from $50^{\circ}C$ to $90^{\circ}C$ for a period ranging from 2 days to 16 days. In order to investigate the aging effects on the fatigue life, fatigue tests were conducted for differently heat-aged hourglass-shaped and simple shear specimens. Moreover, finite element simulations were conducted for the specimens to calculate physical quantities occurring in the specimens such as the maximum value of the effective stress, the strain energy density, the first invariant of the Cauchy-Green deformation tensor and the maximum principal nominal strain. Then, four fatigue life prediction equations based on one of the physical quantities could be obtained by fitting the equations to the test data. Finally, the fatigue life of a rubber bush used in an automobile was predicted by using the prediction equations, and it was compared with the test data of the bush to evaluate the reliability of those equations.

• Elastomers and Composites
• /
• v.52 no.1
• /
• pp.35-47
• /
• 2017

A comprehensive survey of the available literature showed that in the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in the use of thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs). TPVs are the second largest group of soft thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) after styrene-based block copolymers, and offer a wide range of potential and proven applications, including in mechanical rubber goods, under-the-hood applications in the automotive field, industrial hose applications, electrical applications, consumer goods, and soft touch applications. Over the last two decades, TPVs have shown a strong and steady market growth (~12% per year). Commercialized TPVs are commonly based on blends of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber and polypropylene (PP), and to a lesser extent on combinations of butyl or nitrile rubber with PP. EPDM/PP TPVs are characterized by finely dispersed crosslinked EPDM rubber particles (particles size varying between 0.5 and $2.0{\mu}m$) distributed in a continuous thermoplastic PP matrix. If the rubber particles of such a blend are small enough and if they are vulcanized well enough, then the properties of the blend are generally improved. This review article introduces various topics and aspects relevant to EPDM/PP TPVs. The development of TPVs, the use of various types of crosslinking systems and co-agents as crosslinking agents for PP/EPDM blends, the morphology and rheology of TPVs, and their typical end-use applications are also reviewed.