Enhanced physicomechanical performance of nitrile rubber composites by utilizing eco‐friendly natural oil as a plasticizer

Abstract

AbstractPetroleum oil derivatives have been used as a primary plasticizer in rubber compounding for tire applications. Due to the toxicity of petroleum oil derivatives, much attention has been paid to substituting them with renewable sources, aiming to produce more environmentally friendly rubber formulations. Although it harms the environment, it is also a nonrenewable resource that necessarily needs to be replaced. The present work aims to study the effects of vegetable and fruit oils as eco‐friendly processing oils for rubber products. The nitrile rubber (NBR) compounding contains a specific amount of vegetable‐based oil, linseed oil (LO), fruit‐based oil, Citrus volkameriana (CV), as alternatives to petroleum‐based oil, and dioctyl phthalate (DOP). The performance of NBR composites containing different processing aids was evaluated regarding the compounds' rheological, mechanical, and aging properties. To sum up, the study showed that substituting petroleum‐based oil with natural oil could substantially enhance the mechanical properties besides the other advantages such as decreased compound cost and increased cure rate.