Compatibility study of natural rubber and ethylene-propylene diene rubber blends

摘要

Recently, blending of polymers has become an increasingly important area of research activity. Compatibility of natural rubber (NR) and ethylene-propylene diene monomer (EPDM) is poor and can be enhanced by the addition of compatibilizers. In the present study, the polymeric blends were modified either by high-energy radiation (gamma-rays) in order to create crosslinks (chemical bonds) between the rubber chains at the domain boundaries, or by the addition of a compatibilizer EPDM-g-MAH prepared by radiation-induced graft copolymerization of EPDM with maleic anhydride, or by adding polymers such as polybutadiene rubber (BR), chlorinated rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene and polyvinylchloride (PVC). The compatibility of NR/EPDM blends with and without different compatibilizers was evaluated by viscosity measurements, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results obtained reveal that the addition of a small percentage of compatibilizer decreases the domain size of the dispersed phase, and also the compatibility and properties of the blend were greatly enhanced. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. [References: 26]