The degree of filler dispersion, rheometric and mechanical properties of carbon black-filled styrene-butadiene rubber composites in the presence of alkanolamide

Abstract

The degree of filler dispersion, rheometric and mechanical properties of carbon black (CB)-filled styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) composites in the presence of alkanolamide (ALK) were investigated using a semi-efficient sulphur accelerated vulcanisation system. The ALK was prepared from Refined Bleached Deodorized Palm Stearin and diethanolamine and added into the CB-filled SBR composites at1.0, 3.0, 5.0 and 7.0 parts per hundred rubber (phr). It was found that ALK decreased the scorch time, cure time and minimum torque of the CB-filled SBR composites. The ALK also increased the torque difference, tensile modulus, hardness, resilience and tensile strength; especially up to a 5.0 phr of loading. Due to its plasticising effect, ALK improved the degree of CB dispersion and increased the elongation at break of the CB-filled SBR composites. The crosslink density was increased by improving the degree of CB dispersion and rubber-filler interaction, respectively. The 5.0 phr of ALK was the optimum loading for CB-filled SBR composites which exhibited the highest values in tensile modulus, hardness, resilience and tensile strength.