The present paper is concerned with the preparation of a filled elastomer by means the non-conventional bottom-up approach to polymer composites, alternatively with the conventional mechanical compounding of preformed filler particles with rubber. EPDM rubber was modified with in situ generated silica particles prepared by means of a sol-gel process adopting a solution process. The used synthetic procedure permitted the preparation of highly filled rubbers (up to 40 wt% of silica) with silica particle dimensions ranging from 0.2 to 2 μm. Equilibrium swelling and extraction tests indicated a hindering effect of the presence of in situ generated silica on the vulcanization process which reduced the cross-linking degree of the rubber matrix. Both tensile tests and dynamic-mechanical analysis showed a significant improvement in the mechanical properties due to the presence of the reinforcing filler, with an enhancement more significant than that expected from a simple hydrodynamic reinforcing mechanism.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ufs/oai:etd.uovs.ac.za:etd-10302014-131003 |
Date | 30 October 2014 |
Creators | Mokhothu, Thabang Hendrica |
Contributors | PROF M. MESSORI, PROF A.S. LUYT |
Publisher | University of the Free State |
Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
Language | en-uk |
Detected Language | English |
Type | text |
Format | application/pdf |
Source | http://etd.uovs.ac.za//theses/available/etd-10302014-131003/restricted/ |
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