RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND PROCESSABILITY OF NATURAL RUBBER REINFORCED WITH CARBON BLACK (N330) AND ITS BLEND WITH RAW PALM KERNEL HUSK

Abstract

The rheological, mechanical and physical characteristics of natural rubber composites filled with blends of raw palm kernel and carbon black (N330) at total filler loading of 50phr have been studied. The blends of raw kernel husk and carbon black used in this study as filler was characterized in terms of loss on ignition, surface area, moisture content and oil adsorption. Efficient vulcanization system was used. The curing characteristic of the compound mixes were determined on a Monsanto Rheometer. The physico-mechanical properties of the vulcanizates were measured as a function of volume fraction filler. The physical testing of the natural rubber vulcanizates involve the determination of tensile strength, modulus at 100% elongation at break, compression set, hardness and abrasion resistance properties. The blend, containing up to 20wt% of raw palm kernel husk gave natural rubber composites with comparable physico-mechanical properties with composites obtained with carbon black (N330). Although above 20wt% filler blends of raw palm kernel husk and N330 exhibits some good vulcanizates properties, but inferior to carbon black (N330) when used alone, especially with regards to tensile strength and modulus at 100%.