Melt flow and mechanical properties of sulfonated butyl rubber ionomers

Abstract

AbstractStudy of melt flow properties and mechanical properties of sulfonated butyl rubber ionomers showed that in the case of lithium ionomers addition of zinc stearate lowered obviously the melt viscosity, represented by torque value of a Brabender rheometer, and enhanced tensile strength of the ionomer up to 25% of zinc stearate, while in the case of ethylamine neutralized ionomer addition of zinc stearate lowered the melt viscosity not so obviously as in the case of lithium ionomer and slightly affected the tensile strength. Amine neutralized ionomers exhibited very low permanent sets, while the lithium ionomer showed much higher permanent set, which increased with sulfonate group and amount of zinc stearate added. Increase of neutralization degree below equivalent ratio of 1 significantly raised the melt viscosity and tensile strength.For monovalent cation ionomer, melt viscosity and tensile strength diminished with decreasing ionic potentials, but for divalent cation ionomers with increasing ionic potentials and with decreasing covalent character tensile strength decreased and melt viscosity increased.For different amine neutralized ionomers tensile strength decreased in the following orders: ethylamine > triethylamine > diethylamine; isopropylamine > ethylamine > tertiary butylamine > methylamine; ethylamine > hexylamine > dodecylamine > octadecylamine.