Abstract
A series of natural rubber-snail shell powder vulcanizates were compounded on a two-roll mill, and moulded on a compression moulding machine. The mechanical and end-use properties of the natural rubber vulcanizates were investigated at snail shell powder contents, 0 to 20 pphr. The snail shell powder was characterized for filler properties and sieved to 0.075, and 0.30 μm particle sizes. Carbon black was used as the reference filler. Results showed that the tensile strength, modulus, elongation at break, and resilience of the rubber vulcanizates were not enhanced on addition of snail shell powder. The hardness of the rubber vulcanizes were marginally increased at high snail shell powder content. However, the specific gravity of the rubber vulcanizates showed increases with increase in snail shell powder content. At a filler content above 5 pphr, snail shell powder exhibited good flame retardant property in the vulcanizates. The swelling indices of snail shell powder (0.075 μm) filled natural rubber were generally good, and better than those of snail shell powder (0.30 μm) filled natural rubber. Carbon black was found to show more property improvement for the natural rubber vulcanizates when compared to snail shell powder. Although the mechanical properties of snail shell powder filled natural rubber vulcanizates were not good, there were improvements in the end-use properties, an indication that snail shell powder could still find utilization in the rubber industry where specific end-use property of a rubber product is required.
Highlights
Polymers such as polyolefins and elastomers are widely exploited but are often not used as neat polymers
The higher weight loss on ignition recorded for snail shell powder (SSP) when compared to carbon black (CB) is an indication that CB is more resistant to thermal effect
The similarity in the oil absorption values for the fillers may be an indication that SSP of particle sizes, 0.30 and 0.075 μm have structures that may be closely related to CB in the sense considered above, and may produce similar effects in the vulcanizates
Summary
Polymers such as polyolefins and elastomers are widely exploited but are often not used as neat polymers. The properties impacted by carbon black to the rubber compound depend on several factors such as particle size, structure, physio-chemical nature of the surface area, and particle porosity. The particle size, structure, and surface characteristics are important factors that are considered in determining the reinforcing ability of a filler to rubber compounds. The use of talc, nano-ZnO, nano-CaCO3, and nano-Al2O3 as substitutes for carbon black in rubber compounding has been suggested [4] These fillers have small particle sizes and exhibit superior physical and mechanical properties in the vulcanizates when compared to the conventional micrcomposites. They offer new techniques, and business opportunities in the rubber industry
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