The obtaining and characterization of some polymeric eco-composites based on wood sawdust and natural rubber is presented. The natural rubber was cross-linked using the electron beam irradiation. The irradiation doses were of 75, 150, 300 and 600 kGy and the concentrations of wood sawdust were of 10 and 20 phr, respectively. As a result of wood sawdust adding, the physical and mechanical properties such as hardness, modulus at 100% elongation and tensile strength, showed significant improvements. The presence of wood sawdust fibers has a reinforcing effect on natural rubber, similar or better than of mineral fillers. An increase in the irradiation dose leads to the increasing of cross-link density, which is reflected in the improvement of hardness, modulus at 100% elongation and tensile strength of blends. The cross-linking rates, appreciated using the Flory-Rehner equation, have increased with the amount of wood sawdust in blends and with the irradiation dose. Even if the gel fraction values have varied irregularly with the amount of wood sawdust and irradiation dose it was over 90% for all blends, except for the samples without wood sawdust irradiated with 75 kGy. The water uptake increased with increasing of fiber content and decreased with the irradiation dose.
The effects of electron beam irradiation on the properties of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM)/butyl rubber composites in presence of a polyfunctional monomer were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR), and mechanical and surface energy measurements. The samples were exposed over a wide range of irradiation doses (20–150 kGy). The EPDM matrix was modified with butyl rubber, chlorobutyl rubber, and bromobutyl rubber. The gel content and crosslink density were found to increase with the electron beam irradiation dose. The values of the hardness and modulus increased gradually with the irradiation dose, while the tensile strength and elongation at break decreased with increasing irradiation dose. The EPDM/butyl rubber composites presented a higher thermal stability compared to the initial EPDM sample. The incorporation of butyl rubbers into the EPDM matrix led to an increase in material hydrophobicity. A similar trend was observed when the irradiation dose increased. The greatest change in the surface free energy and the contact angles occurs at an irradiation dose of 20 kGy. The Charlesby–Pinner plots prove the tendency to crosslinking as the irradiation dose increases.
The obtaining and characterization of some environmental-friendly composites that are based on natural rubber and plasticized starch, as filler, are presented. These were obtained by peroxide cross-linking in the presence of a polyfunctional monomer used here as cross-linking co-agent, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate. The influence of plasticized starch amount on the composites physical and mechanical characteristics, gel fraction and cross-link density, water uptake, structure and morphology before and after accelerated (thermal) degradation, and natural (for one year in temperate climate) ageing, was studied. Differences of two orders of magnitude between the degradation/aging methods were registered in the case of some mechanical characteristics, by increasing the plasticized starch amount. The cross-link density, water uptake and mass loss were also significant affected by the plasticized starch amount increasing and exposing for one year to natural ageing in temperate climate. Based on the results of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and cross-link density measurements, reaction mechanisms attributed to degradation induced by accelerated and natural ageing were done. SEM micrographs have confirmed in addition that by incorporating a quantity of hydrophilic starch amount over 20 phr and by exposing the composites to natural ageing, and then degradability can be enhanced by comparing with thermal degradation.
Elastomers are materials used in a large range of industrial and household applications. A common physical‐chemical treatment is curing (crosslinking), imparting the rubber mechanical and thermal stability. Elastomers show low thermal conductivity values, and therefore, require complex and high‐cost heating methods; thus, the ionizing (accelerated electrons) method shows high interest for the grafting and crosslinking processes. In addition to the lack of environmental impact, reliability, flexibility, and low costs render the radiation technologies especially attractive. The article presents the results concerning trimethylolpropane‐trimethacrylate coagent concentration effect, on the mechanical properties of the ethylene‐propylene–terpolymer (EPDM) rubber vulcanized by electron beam (EB). Mechanical properties of EB irradiated samples were compared with the dibenzoyl peroxide cured samples. Dependence of mechanical properties on irradiation dose was determined from a dose range of 0 kGy to 200 kGy. Dibenzoyl peroxide vulcanization at 160°C was carried out on the EPDM samples as well. Two types of blends have been analyzed: fillers and nonfillers. The results showed an increase in mechanical properties as a function of increasing polyfunctional monomer level. Also, based on the comparison between EB and dibenzoyl peroxide vulcanization efficiency, the results show that EB irradiation gave the best results. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
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