RUBBER TO FILLER INTERACTION STUDIES - A DYNAMIC MECHANICAL THERMAL-ANALYSIS APPROACH

Rubber to filler interaction studies have been carried out with the help of dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and the authors have tried to analyse the reinforcement mechanism in filled rubber compounds in the light of this study. Low temperature to high temperature studies on carbon black-, silica- and clay-filled epoxidised natural rubber (ENR) showed that there is a marked difference between the dynamic mechanical properties based on the filler used. Keeping filled masterbatches for a long time did not affect the dynamical mechanical properties of clay-filled systems, whereas the dynamic mechanical properties of carbon black-filled systems changed slightly, indicating minor changes in the interaction mechanism. Heating of masterbatches had a profound effect on the dynamic mechanical properties. The chances of adsorbed rubber formation played a more important role in the rubber to filler interaction mechanism than the bound rubber formation on heating a mix.