Reinforcement of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate with Carbon Black/Silica Hybrid Filler Composites

Abstract

Carbon black and silica have been used as the main reinforcing fillers that increase the usefulness of rubbers. In this work the effect of carbon black (high abrasion furnace)/silica hybrid fillers on the mechanical properties, crosslink density and morphological behaviour of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) was investigated. EVA reinforced with 0/50, 10/40, 20/30, 30/20, 40/10 and 50/0 phr of carbon black (CB)/silica hybrid filler. The total hybrid filler is kept constant at 50 phr (parts per hundred rubbers) and six different compounds were prepared. EVA, CB and silica followed by compounding on a two roll mill and molding at 180°C and 20 megapascal (MPa) pressure. The mechanical properties such as tensile & tear strength, elongation at break and 100% modulus have been measured at 23°C on universal testing machine. Abrasion resistance, hardness and rebound resilience are studied using DIN abrader, Shore A durometer and vertical rebound resilience respectively. The tensile strength, modulus, tear strength, abrasion resistance, hardness and crosslink density increased with the CB filler content in hybrid filler, reached the maximum value at 50 phr of high abrasion furnace carbon black. Morphological properties of composites were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy analysis.