•Alejandro Moreno

•Ty Van Tran

Definition of Rubber
History and source of Rubber
Properties and Classification of Rubber
Natural Rubber
Synthetic Rubber
Elastomer and elasticity
Vulcanization
Manufacture
 Elastomer = Rubber

Material has the remarkable ability to substantially

return to its original shape after being stretched
considerably.
0 B.C Aztecs and Mayas Shoe soles, play balls, coated fabrics

18th century EU “Rubber”

1823 Macintosh Naphtha

1830 Thomas Hancock 1st internal mixing machine

1841 Charles Goodyear Vulcanization process

1843 Hancock Vulcan = the god of fire

1889 John Dunlop 1st pneumatic tire for bicycles

1904 Carbon black Increasing mechanical properties

1910 Motor car Uses and price of NR exploded

1870s Polyisoprene Europe, in labs

WW I Polybutadiene, Russia, in commercial

1930s Neoprene, Buna-S US and Germany

GRS – copolymer of
WW 2 US
butadiene and styrene
1960 SNR Shell, Goodyear

2005 58% of rubber is synthetic

 2

4
1
High elasticity
Low Tg
Sensitive to oxygen, ozone, light
Not oil resistant
Resistant to inorganic chemicals
Unsuitable for use with organic liquids
Natural rubber Synthetic rubber

Synthetic natural rubber (SNR)

Butyl Rubber (BR)

Chloroprene Rubber (Neoprene)

Nitrile Rubber (NBR)

Styrene-Butadiene Rubber
(SBR)

Thermoplastic elastomers

…
 Hevea Rubber
(cis-polyisoprenene)

Natural rubber
Hevea Brasiliensis

M = 200,000 - 500,000
Latex
Proteins, sugars, fatty acids
30 – 40% wt. dry rubber
Potassium, manganese,
phosphorus, copper and iron
 Tg = -72oC

Need to be cross-linked to obtain

the high elasticity

Be cross-linked by sulfur, sulfur

donor systems, peroxides, isocyanate
cures and radiation

Easily blended with various fillers

and elastomers
Transportation Industrial Consumer Hygiene and
medical
 Polyisoprene

Ziegler-Natta catalyst

More uniform and lighter in color than

NR

Less of a tendency to crystallize

Application:

Used interchangeably with NR

Used in blends with PB, and SBR

 Applications:
In blending with other polymer, PB:
Reduce heat build-up

Improves the abrasion resistance, and the

friction on ice of winter tires

Improve abrasion and low temperature

flexibility

Monomer: butadiene

The cis 1,4 and 1,2

vinyl contents govern the
performance of polymers

Lower cost
 Applications:

Blend with NR and PB: Tire

production

Conveyor belts, molded rubber

goods,…

Carpet backing

 Random copolymer, 23%

styrene

 Requires greater
reinforcement

 Lower resilience than NR

NBR—Nitrile Butadiene Rubber
 Copolymer of butadiene and acrylonitrile
 More expensive than SBR or BR

CR—Chloroprene rubber (neoprene)

–Thermal stability
–Non-flammable
 A class of copolymers or a physical mix of polymers which consist
both thermoplastic and elastomeric properties
 The crosslink in TP polymers: a weaker dipole or hydrogen bond or
takes place in one of the phases of the material
 More easily processed: extrusion and injection molding
 Be used where conventional elastomers cannot provide the range
of physical properties needed in the product
Physical Characteristics:

Amorphous Material
Generally T > Tg.
Thermodynamic Equilibrium
Don’t crystalize
Regarded as liquids
One huge macromolecule
I Thermoplastic T < Tg
II Elastomer T > Tg
Retraction force of
Elastomers is dominated
by entropy

Ideal Elastomer
Main Hypothesis: Micro scale the
deformation is proportional than at
Macro scale
Second Hypothesis: All the chains in
the elastomer network have the same
molar Mass
Third Hypothesis: The material is
incompressible

Elastic modulus depend on the

temperature, density and Ms which is
the mass of chains between two cross
linked points.
 Unvulcanized Rubber
Vulcanized Rubber
A process which increases
the retractile force and
reduces the amount of
permanent deformation
remaining after removal of
the deforming force
Increases elasticity while
decreases plasticity

How?

Crosslinked molecular
networks
•Rubber becomes
essentially insoluble.

•Hysteresis is a
measure of
deformation energy
that is not stored but
that is converted to
heat.

•These properties are

not functions only of
crosslink density.
 IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS
•Time elapsed before crosslinking starts  Sufficient scorch resistance!
•Rate of crosslink formation Fast!
•The extent of crosslinking at the end of the process  Controlled
Vulcanization by sulfur without accelerator is no longer of
much commercial significance , but its chemistry has been the
object of much research and study.

•A concentration of 8 parts per 100 parts of rubber (phr) requires 5

hours at 140°C.

•The addition of zinc oxide reduced the time to 3 hours.

•The use of accelerators in concentrations as low as 0.5phr has

since reduced the time to asshort as 1 to 3 minutes.
Accelerated-sulfur
vulcanization is the most
widely used method.

•Rapid crosslinking

•Good delayed action

required for processing
before the formation of the
vulcanized network.

•It is used to vulcanize

natural rubber, synthetic
isoprene rubber, styrene-
butadiene rubber, nitrile
rubber, etc.
VULCANIZATION BY THE ACTION OF METAL OXIDES

• Chlorobutadiene

VULCANIZATION BY THE ACTION OF ORGANIC PEROXIDES

• Elastomers

DYNAMIC VULCANIZATION

• Vulcanization of one polymer during its molten-state mixing with another

polymer or with other polymers.

•The polymers are first thoroughly mixed and then, during further mixing,
one of the polymers is obliged to become crosslinked, whereas the
remaining other polymeric material remains uncross.
Mills Internal Mixing Machines
Extruders Calenders
MOLD.- At least two pieces of material,
which when fitted together from a cavity,
resembling the shape of the product.

Mold dimensions are around 1.5 % greater

than required.

Molding is the most important process

during rubber manufacturing.
Compression Molding Transfer Molding

Autoclave curing
Transfer Molding