H. H. Le

Filler Phase Distribution in Rubber Blends Characterized by Thermogravimetric Analysis of the Rubber-Filler Gel

Abstract The analysis of the rubber-filler gel of carbon black filled rubber compounds and blends provides useful information about the mixing process taking place inside the internal mixer. A new measure technique named wetting rate was introduced to describe the wetting behavior of the rubber onto the filler. Natural rubber (NR)/styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) blends has been used for experimental investigation. NR shows a significantly higher wetting rate than SBR. The wetting rate does not only depend on the viscosity of rubber but strongly on the functionalization of it. Using the data determined from the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of rubber-filler gel, a new method was developed to characterize the kinetics of carbon black (CB) localization in the phases of heterogeneous rubber blends. During the first mixing stage, the CB localization is affected strongly by the wetting rate ratio of the blend components. In the second mixing stage, the rubber-filler interaction dominantly influences the distr...

Online electrical conductivity as a measure to characterize the carbon black dispersion in oil containing rubber compounds with a different polarity of rubber

Abstract The influence of viscosity, polarity of the rubber matrix and the types and contents of extender oil on the carbon black dispersion has been characterized using the online electrical conductivity measurement. A corresponding change of the online conductivity with the rubber infiltration and extent of carbon black dispersion has been observed. The infiltration rate increases with increasing polarity and decreasing viscosity of the rubber matrix, whereby the matrix polarity shows a stronger effect than the viscosity. The oil addition accelerates the infiltration process. This is caused by the reduction of the matrix viscosity and the intensification of the filler-matrix interaction. Oil addition affects the carbon black dispersion in non-polar rubber much more than in polar rubber. Furthermore, in non-polar rubber, polar oil shows a stronger effect than non-polar oil.

Online characterization of the effect of mixing parameters on carbon black dispersion in rubber compounds using electrical conductivity

Abstract The influences of mixing parameters on the carbon black dispersion can be characterized using the electrical conductivity online measured from internal mixer. As a measure for monitoring the development of carbon black dispersion, a normalized conductivity with regard to the conductivity measured at the BIT (black incorporation time) has been suggested. It is observed that in spite of different mixing parameters, the mixtures possessing the same normalized conductivity factor K/KBIT deliver the same carbon black dispersion and the same mechanical properties. Based on normalized conductivity, a deeper insight into the mixing kinetics can be provided to find an optimal mixing regime.

Macro- and microdispersion of carbon black in liquid silicone rubbers

Abstract A correlation between the online during mixing measured conductance of carbon black (CB) filled silicone rubber and macrodispersion of CB determined by optical microscopy and microdispersion analysed by AFM has been established. The online conductance is a suitable tool to characterise the effect of technological parameters (e.g. rotor type, speed, mixing temperature) and material parameters (matrix viscosity, CB type and content) on the macro- and microdispersion directly during the mixing process. Thus, a modified method of the online conductance measurement can be used as the in-process method for monitoring the production process of electrical conductive polymer materials with low viscosity, e.g. liquid silicone rubbers.

PHASE SELECTIVE LOCALIZATION OF FILLER IN TERNARY RUBBER BLENDS

Abstract The present work introduces a new concept based on the analysis of the rubber–filler gel for the determination of the phase selective filler localization in ternary rubber blends. Natural rubber (NR)/styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR)/ethylene–propylene rubber (EPDM) blends filled with silica were the focus of the experimental investigations. Because of the higher wetting rate of the NR component to silica, in the first stage of the preparation of SBR/NR/EPDM blends, more silica is found in the NR phase than in the SBR and EPDM phase. In the subsequent stage, silica is transferred from the NR phase to the SBR phase until the loosely bound NR-layer at the silica surface is fully replaced by SBR molecules. An extremely low amount of silica was found in the EPDM phase because of the poor EPDM–silica interaction. After a long mixing time, a large amount of silica whose surface was not yet wetted by any rubber phase could be found in the composites that can lead to fatal effects on the mechanical performa...

Carbon Black Distribution in the Components of Rubber Blends Monitored by Online Measured Electrical Conductance

Abstract The kinetics of carbon black (CB) dispersion in SBR/NR and EPDM/NR blends has been investigated using the electrical conductance measured online in the internal mixer. It is interesting to...

Elastomeric and electrically conductive materials on basis of thermoplastic elastomers and their controlled manufacturing

Abstract The present work presents a possibility to produce a rubber elastic and electrically conductive polymer material on the basis of dynamic vulcanisates. Thanks to the specific morphology of dynamic vulcanisates and the non-uniform carbon black distribution, carbon black filled dynamic vulcanisates can exhibit a very low percolation threshold of ∼4 wt-%. Keeping the carbon black content low, a broad spectrum of resistivity properties can be achieved by variation of material factors like type and content of rubber phase and filler, concentration of cross-linking agent and compatibiliser and technological factors like mixing time respectively. In comparison with thermoplastic elastomers on the basis of block copolymers dynamic vulcanisates show a distinct lower percolation threshold. Up to a carbon black content of ∼10 wt-% the mechanical properties of carbon black filled dynamic vulcanisates are not negative influenced essentially. To characterise the development of the carbon black dispersion and distribution processes and the conductivity properties in an internal mixer, the method of online measured electrical conductivity is suited very well for carbon black containing rubber mixtures. It could be shown in pre-investigations that this method promises to be a very useful tool for monitoring the mixing processes of carbon black filled dynamic vulcanisates in continuous mixing processes by means of extruders too.

Online method for characterization of the homogeneity of rubber compounds filled with non-conductive carbon black

Abstract In the present work, the effect of carbon black (CB) type on the electrical conductance of CB filled rubber compounds measured online in the internal mixer and the corresponding CB dispersion were investigated. The CB dispersion is strongly affected by the specific surface area and structure of CB which can be directly monitored by use of the online electrical conductance method. The effect of CB mixture ratio of a high conductive CB and a non-conductive one on the online electrical conductance was investigated for CB filled rubber compounds. By addition of a small amount of a high-conductive CB type into a non-conductive CB filled rubber compound, a characteristic online conductance - time characteristic is observed that is a result of the formation of a joint network of the two CB types. It could be shown, that such a characteristic is suitable to monitor the dispersion process of the non-conductive CB in the rubber compound.

Comment on “Monitoring Network and Interfacial Healing Processes by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy: A Case Study on Natural rubber”

In a recent paper Hernandez et al. claimed to have explored a self-healing behavior of (covalently crosslinked) natural rubber by mechanical and broadband dielectric spectroscopic studies 1. The authors demonstrated a dielectric relaxation study to understand the heterogeneous network structures at the healed interface that was established during the healing process of a rather weakly sulphur crosslinked rubber sample. We have no doubts that the study itself gives interesting insights, however we are convinced (and will argue in more detail below) that interpretations toward a ‘self-healing’ nature of natural rubber should be handled with care and is even wrong in this case. Several critical issues like the tackiness of natural rubber, sample fabrication for dielectric experiments etc. will be discussed in this comment.