Immobilization of Elastomers at the Carbon Black Particle Surface

Abstract

Abstract Determinations have been made of the amount of elastomer unextractable from unvulcanized masticated mixes with carbon black by a given solvent at boil, expressed as immobilized elastomer. Saturated and unsaturated elastomers varying in molecular weights from 2000 to 325,000, were used, while solvents of greatly differing boiling points and solvent power were employed. It could be shown that the bonding between elastomers and carbon black is not a simple adsorption, but involves a higher energy interaction, defined as chemisorption. At successively higher temperatures elastomer is increasingly removed from the carbon black surface. The temperature Tm, obtained by extrapolation of the linear relationship between amounts immobilized and temperature of extraction, represents the temperature theoretically required to eliminate all bonds between carbon black and elastomer and is therefore indicative of the bond strength. Data suggest the existence of a bonding energy spectrum. Upon graphitization, blacks show a considerable decline in high energy bonding ability for elastomers. Saturated elastomers show less bonding than unsaturated elastomers with the same furnace black. “Bound rubber” represents the sum total of physically adsorbed, mechanically entangled, and chemisorbed elastomer. The actual values are greatly dependent upon the procedure used. “Immobilized rubber”, indicating chemisorbed elastomer, is easily determined, is not influenced by the method, and is more significant as an indicator of reinforcement.