It is proposed that a non-polar filler can reduce interfacial energies between polar and non-polar polymers. Experiments have been carried out to test this hypothesis using carbon black as the filler in blends of natural rubber (NR) and a nitrile rubber (NBR) with an acrylonitrile content of 45%. Blends of NR-NBR (70/30) were prepared in an internal mixer with varying amounts of carbon black. The dramatic decrease in domain size on addition of carbon black was nonetheless lower than that predicted. Further experiments showed that the amount of carbon black available at the interface for compatibilisation was influenced by preferential incorporation into the lower viscosity elastomer (NBR). Thus, elastomers of similar viscosity should be added to the mixer prior to the carbon black in order to maximise the amount of 'free' unwetted carbon black present when the elastomers are blended together. Blending experiments carried out under these conditions resulted in a morphology close to the prediction based on thermodynamic theory.
The flow visualization method of studying internal mixing has been shown to be a powerful tool for determination of the critical factors influencing flow and mixing efficiency. Correlation of visualizations with results obtained for “practical” rubber mixing confirms the validity of the method for the prediction of flow in conventional mixing operations. Fill factor is identified as one of the key variables influencing mixing uniformity. At this stage it is not possible to make general recommendations since only limited studies were carried out. However, from the dependence of mix uniformity on fill factor derived from a B Banbury having two-wing rotors, fill factors of 0.7–0.8 are shown to give the best results. This range of fill factors provides an adequate and continual filling of the region in front of the rotor tip and ensures that the high stresses required for the fracture of particle material aggregates are generated. It also permits the formation of voids behind the rotor tips. Such voids appear to be essential for the disordering of streamline flow patterns and for promoting effective axial tranfer of material.
Certain accelerators are susceptible to chemical attack by water. Consequently, the cure behavior of compounds containing these accelerators is likely to be affected by the water content of the compound and the humidity conditions of processing and storage. A quantitative investigation into the influence of humidity and water content on cure behavior was carried out using a natural-rubber compound with MBS (N-morpholylbenzothiozole-2-sulfenamide) as the principal accelerator. Samples of the compound were treated at different humidities, their water contents determined, and their cure curves measured. Scorch time was inversely related to treatment humidity and water content of the compound, whereas cure rate was directly related to humidity and water content. A study of the mechanism by which water affects the cure behavior of the compound revealed that hydrolysis of the accelerator, MBS, would inhibit its scorch-delay action and could produce MBT (2-mercaptobenzothiazole), which would increase the cure rate. It is concluded that compounds containing other benzothiazole sulfenamide accelerators are likely to exhibit similar behavior. The adverse effect of moisture on the cure behavior of compounds can be minimized by carrying out storage and processing at as low a humidity and temperature and for as short a time as possible.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.