Modification of natural rubber via epoxidation process increases its compatibility with highly polar filler like silica. In this work, epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) reinforced with silica compound is evaluated for truck tire tread compound. The rheological, physical and dynamic properties as well as the bound rubber content of ENR-silica tread compound are discussed. The results show that ENR-silica compound has high chemically bound rubber indicating the good interaction and bonding between rubber and silica. In addition, the dynamic test shows the ENR-silica vulcanizate exhibit higher Tan delta at 0 °C and lower tan delta at 60 °C as compared to conventional natural rubber-carbon black vulcanizate, which gives indication of higher wet grip and lower rolling resistance of the ENR vulcanizate. The use of ENR reinforced with silica filler in tread compound is a unique combination that offers renewable material for greener tire application.
Electrostatic charges are potentially generated on a commercial vehicle through several ways, such as friction of its rubber tyres while rolling on the road and also from the rotating of its mechanical components (e.g. bearings shaft). If these accumulated electrostatic charges are not dissipated from the vehicle, interferences of electronic components within the vehicle may occur. Highly accumulated electrostatic charges may also lead to safety hazards (e.g. fires and explosions) for vehicles that transporting highly flammable materials or during the vehicles refueling process.
In tyre industries, rheological and processability properties of rubber and polymer are great of importance since there are alot extrusion processes involved in the tyre manufacturing other than calendaring and moulding processes. Uniformity and consistency in the flow behaviour and processability of rubber are essential in providing the solution to the rubber industries in order to improve productivity, products quality and energy conservation. In this works, effects of silane coupling agent on rheological behaviour and extrusion performance of silica filled ENR tread compounds were studied and compared to NR/BR tread compound. The compounds were prepared by melt mixing in tangential internal mixer, while the rheological properties of compounds were determined by Capillary Rheometer, Cure Rheometer and Mooney viscometer. The compound were further examined for its extrudability performance evaluation by extruded the rubber through 30mm cold feed extruder machine using ASTM Extrusion Die, ‘Garvey’ type. Results showed that, ENR/silica compounds exhibit higher shear viscosity curves as compared to NR/BR compound at low shear rate regime. However an opposite trend was observed towards high shear rate regime tested which ENR/silica compounds gave slightly lower shear viscosity curve compared to NR/BR compound. As for extrudability performance evaluation, NR/BR compound gave better extrusion characteristics and appearance as compared to ENR/silica compounds.
The challenges of using Epoxidised Natural Rubber (ENR) in truck tyre tread are to achieve good cure reversion resistant and physical properties especially on abrasion resistance towards long vulcanization time. The objectives of the project are to study the effects of vulcanization additive on cure characteristics and physical properties of silica filled ENR compound. In this work, a variation of curing systems were employed and a standard carbon black filled Natural Rubber/Butadiene Rubber (NR/BR) compound as a comparison. Greater reversion resistance and physical properties were observed with inclusion of vulcanization additive in the silica compound as compared to compound containing any. The abrasion resistance on the hand improved in spite of long vulcanisation time which commonly practices in truck tyre manufacturing.Keywords: ENR, silica, vulcanization additive, cure reversion, abrasion resistance
A vulcanized epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) based electrically conductive compound was successfully prepared by using the combination of internal mechanical mixing and open milling devices. This compound was developed based on a formula with at least 73.0 wt % of petro-chemical free ingredients. The vulcanizate of this compound showed good physical properties, high electrical conductivities and also complied with Malaysia Standard 1097 [. As a result, this newly formulated compound can be targeted for making antistatic tire tread of commercial vehicles.
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