English Abstract

Evaluation of Rubber Mixing for Physical Properties of Vulcanized Rubber

Yasuhiro ISHIKAWA
Retired from Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
Nippon Gomu Kyokaishi,(2016),89(4),109-114 General Review in Japanese

Mixing can be used to improve processing behavior or vulcanized properties. Good dispersion of carbon black is essential for rubber compounding in order to obtain optimum vulcanized properties. The reduction in viscosity of a compound during mixing is due to mastication of elastomer and disagglomeration of the carbon black. After mixing compounds are made up of four components ; aggregate, agglomerate, bound rubber and free rubber. Higher-order structure which is composed by these four components induces the stress concentration, showing lower physical properties. During mixing disagglomeration without chain scission of the elastomer gives the higher tensile properties.

Keywords: Aggregate, Agglomerate, Disagglomeration, Bound Rubber, Stress Concentration, Higher-order Structure