Multifiller-matrix adhesion effects in epoxidized natural rubber

The issue of accumulation of elastomer rejects is a serious matter deserving attention. The conversion of high-quality and lightly cross-linked rubber hydrocarbon in such latex rejects to a processable form is very important due to both economical and ecological reasons. The authors have conducted the evaluation of processing aspects, vulcanization behavior, and dynamic mechanical analysis of epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) containing varying amounts of natural rubber prophylactic (NR prophylactics) waste with and without marble powder. The presence of NR prophylactics and marble powder has been found to activate the curing of ENR compounds. The Young's modulus values first show an increase with 10 phr loading of NR prophylactics and then a slight decrease with its further addition. The presence of marble powder shows further increase in the values. In the presence of marble powder, increasing loading of NR prophylactics also increases the Young's modulus. Except the slight decrease at 40 phr loading of NR prophylactics, similar trends as shown by Young's modulus have been observed for tensile and tear strengths. The damping behavior has been found to be strongly dependent on the presence of marble powder in the blend. An increase in the glass transition temperature of ENR has been noted with the addition of 40 phr NR prophylactics at both 10 and 100 Hz frequencies. An increase in glass transition temperature of ENR has been noted with the presence of marble powder only in the case of ENR with 10 phr NR prophylactics. Increasing loading of NR prophylactics in marble powder-filled samples has been found to reduce the glass transition temperature. The analysis of the relative distribution of marble powder among the blend components reveals that marble powder is preferentially located in the NR prophylactics phase. The evaluation of network density in the vulcanizates using modulus-temperature plots has been found to support the observed variation in tensile and tear strengths. Cole-Cole have been drawn to confirm the heterogeneous nature of the samples.