Effect of prevulcanization on the rheological behavior of natural rubber/styrene butadiene rubber latex blends

Abstract

The effect of prevulcanization on the rheological behavior of natural rubber (NR), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) latices, and their blends was studied with special reference to shear rate, blend ratio, vulcanizing systems, prevulcanization time, and accelerator systems. The NR latex showed a sharp increase in viscosity with increase in prevulcanization time due to high extent of crosslinking. However, SBR latex showed marginal effect on viscosity with prevulcanization time due to its low dry rubber content and low degree of unsaturation. Blends showed variations in viscosity according to the change in composition. The use of a single accelerator was found to have marked influence on the viscosity of the blends compared with a combination of accelerators. Swelling experiments were carried out in order to determine the crosslink density of the blends. The viscosity changes have been correlated with the crosslinking density of the latices and their blends. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.