This research article reports, the preparation of thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) and TPV nanocomposites (TPVNs) based on EPDM and polypropylene (PP). New generation ultra-high molecular weight EPDM (UHMW-EPDM) and PP with nano-fillers (nano-clay and nano-silica) and has been studied and characterized extensively typically for automotive applications. This special type of UHM-EPDM-based TPVs exhibit superior physico-mechanical properties over conventional EPDM-based TPVs and in the presence of nano-fillers, they show even better physical properties. The TPVNs were prepared with a fixed EPDM: PP ratio and the nano fillers were varied at different concentrations. The influence of nano-fillers, especially hectorite nano-clay and nano-silica has been first explored through physico-mechanical properties. Tensile strength, elongation at break, and modulus at various strain are improved for nano-filler filled TPVNs. We have observed that due to the incorporation of nano-fillers into the TPV matrix, swelling has been decreased. From morphology (AFM, SEM) study, it is observed that the fillers are well dispersed in the TPV matrix and nano-silica fillers are well dispersed than nano-clay (hectorite). Furthermore, small-angle Xray scattering (SAXS) studies have also been pursued to get a better insight into the TPV system. These newly developed TPVs can be used as potential candidates for application in the automotive sector.
Nanotechnology has been explored recently as a means of enhancing the properties of conventional elastomers for engineering applications. In the current study, the effect of nanofillers on air impermeability properties of Brominated isobutylene‐isoprene rubber (BIIR)/Epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) blend has analyzed for automotive applications. The ENR chosen is ENR 25 and ENR 50 (25 and 50% epoxidation) and prepared the blends in a ratio of 75:25 (BIIR:ENR), and from both blend based composites, a part of carbon black replaced with graphene nanoplatelets (GNP). The physical and thermal properties were compared for both binary blend nanocomposites to study the level of exfoliation and reinforcement behavior of GNP. Morphology studies were employed to reveal the level of interaction between GNP and carbon black in both blends. The influence of epoxidation in the formation of nanostructures in both blends have been evaluated, and the effect of nanostructures on air permeability properties was studied. The air impermeability of BIIR‐ENR 50 nanocomposites were improved with increasing platelet concentration, a 30% improvement in air permeability is obtained for BIIR‐ENR 50 composites over BIIR ‐ENR 25.
Elastomeric compound development is a multi-objective optimization task, and it contains vulcanization packages that crosslink the matrix. The deciding factors for vulcanization systems are the nature of elastomer, service temperature, processing methods and vulcanizate properties. Accelerated sulfur and organic peroxide are examples of vulcanization systems; each has its advantages and shortcomings. The peroxide-based system shows a high level of temperature stability while its flexibility is inferior to sulfur vulcanization. This study is finetuning a hybrid vulcanization system containing a combination of ultra-fast accelerated sulfur and a peroxide system; it also optimizes the vulcanization package ratios concerning various rheological and vulcanizate properties with the help of the Taguchi method. Ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) is chosen as the basic matrix due to its excellent viability and commercial application with both the vulcanization systems. The formulations are optimized to combine the advantages of both the vulcanization systems. The results indicate that the vulcanization is sulfur-driven, but peroxide influences by selecting the crosslink sites and type. The hybrid system uses more components, but proper optimization helps to reduce the quantity of vulcanization packages with an improvement in physio-mechanical properties; it also helps to reduce the discharge of carcinogenic accelerator by-products, such as nitrosamine.
The effect of carbon black structure on dispersion and barrier properties in BIIR/ENR 50 blends is studied extensively in this paper. Carbon blacks with different dibutyl phthalate values are used for the study and it is found that the structure of carbon black strongly affects both the mode of dispersion as well as barrier properties of the end product. The morphology of various carbon blacks in their raw state and in the matrix was studied using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The influence of carbon black structure on the reinforcing was studied by analyzing the physical properties. The rubber-filler interaction was measured using bound rubber content and filler-filler interaction was studied using rubber processing analyzer. For the same loading of carbon black, the high structure carbon black is more difficult to disperse in BIIR/ENR 50 blends compared to the low structure carbon black, leading to changes in permeability properties.
One of the best elastomers for the inner liner of a tire is brominated butyl rubber (BIIR). On the other hand, cutting‐edge automobile technologies call for BIIR with enhanced curing, mechanical, and barrier qualities. Consequently, in this investigation, BIIR blends were created with different elastomers that have similar permeability qualities of BIIR but have improved physical properties. Elastomeric blends of BIIR with epoxidized natural rubber (ENR), hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR), and polyepichlorohydrin rubber (CO) were prepared using a melt mixing procedure that could be scaled up for commercial use. The crosslinking behavior, physical, morphological, and barrier characteristics of the developed blends were assessed. The crosslinking properties of new blends revealed a 100% improvement in torque difference, indicating superior cocurability of them with other general‐purpose rubbers used in tire in comparison to the reference BIIR sample. It was also found that the newly developed blends have enhanced mechanical qualities without sacrificing the air impermeability of BIIR, which in turn gives the capacity to withstand high air pressures and thereby a decrease in rolling resistance.
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