PHYSICAL TESTING OF RUBBER

Most testing of rubber and rubber compounds is conducted to

determine processing characteristics or to measure physical properties
after vulcanization. Processability of a rubber compound is dependent on
the compound’s viscosity and elasticity. Generally, the physical
properties of vulcanized rubber compounds are measured by static and
dynamic mechanical tests designed to simulate the mechanical conditions
of finished
rubber products. Following are the test procedures and instruments most
widely used to measure and evaluate processability and finished
properties.
Processability
The fabrication of rubber products generally involve the mixing
and processing of unvulcanized compounds through complex equipment.
Tests to measure the processability of unvulcanized rubber are chiefly
concerned with rheological properties. That is, the response of the rubber
compound to the forces and temperatures imposed on it during the
operations of mixing, extrusion, calendering, and curing. Generally, these
tests are used for control purposes in factory operations to ensure that
subsequent processing and curing steps are carried out uniformly.
Mooney Viscosity, Mooney Scorch, Cure Index – The Mooney
Viscometer is widely used throughout the rubber industry as a standard
instrument for determining the relative viscosity of rubber and rubber-like
materials in the raw or compounded (but uncured) state. It is also used for
determining the curing characteristics of vulcanizable compounds. The
viscometer measures the force, or torque, required to rotate a metal disk,
or rotor, within a shallow cylindrical cavity filled with rubber compound
(ASTM D-1646).

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A typical curve from a Mooney Viscometer test is shown in Figure 1.

The terms which are used throughout the rubber industry to

describe stock flow and cure characteristics are defined on it, and
discussed further below. Mooney Viscosity is reported in Mooney units,
which are related to the torque required to rotate the disk. The value
reported is not a true viscosity, but it does indicate relative viscosity, or
resistance to flow, of compounds measured under the same conditions. A
common test temperature is 100oC (212oF). The running time should be
long enough so that the reported viscosity is the minimum viscosity (MV)
on the curve. Four minutes is a common running time. Some rubber
processors use different times and temperatures.
Mooney Scorch Time is the total running time to reach a viscosity
of five or ten units above the minimum (t5 or t10).

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 Mooney Cure Time is defined as the total running time to reach a
viscosity of 35 units above the minimum (t35). It is used to estimate curing
time at the test temperature.
Cure Index, tL, is the difference between the Cure Time and the
Scorch Time (t35-t5). It is used as a measure of cure rate of the compound
– the smaller the Cure Index, the faster the cure rate.
The Mooney Viscometer test is one of the oldest processability
tests in the rubber industry. Many processors now prefer the oscillating
disk rheometer (ODR) for measuring cure time and cure rate, but the
Mooney Viscometer is usually preferred for viscosity and scorch time
measurements.
Oscillating Disk Rheometer – The oscillating disk rheometer
(ODR) measures the complete curing characteristics of an elastomer
compound, from a green (uncured) stock to a fully cured vulcanizate, at a
specified temperature (ASTM D-2084). Data from the ODR are often
used in conjunction with Mooney viscosity and scorch to characterize the
processing and curing behavior of elastomer compounds. Mooney
Viscometer measurements are usually made at processing temperatures,
while ODR measurements are usually made at curing temperatures.
The ODR measures the force (torque) required to oscillate a rotor
within a shallow cavity filled with rubber compound. As the compound
cures, its viscosity increases and more torque is needed to move the rotor.
The instrument plots a continuous curve of torque versus time. This curve
is often called an ODR trace. From an ODR trace, the rubber compounder
can estimate stock viscosity, scorch time, cure rate and cure state. A
typical ODR trace is shown in Figure 2.

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 2

The

measurements which can be made from this trace and the terms used to
describe them are:
Area A – This gives an indication of compound viscosity.
Area B – This indicates the rate of cure of the compound.
Area C – This indicates the state of cure of the vulcanizate.
ML, Minimum torque – A measure of the viscosity of the uncured
compound.
MH, Maximum torque – A measure of cure state. With some
compounds,
maximum torque can be related to vulcanizate modulus and hardness.
ts1 – Time for torque to increase 0.1N.m or above M L –a measure of
scorch time or processing safety. Some laboratories use t s2(i.e., time for
torque to increase 0.2N.m above ML) instead of ts1.
t50, t90 – Time to reach 50% or 90% of maximum torque development,
calculated as time to 0.5 MH or 0.9 MH – a measure of cure rate or an
estimate of cure time at the test temperature. The shorter the time, the
faster the cure rate.
Cure Rate Index – The slope of the linear portion of the rising curve
between ts1 and t90.