Cure Characteristics and Rheological Properties of Modified Kaolin-natural Rubber Composites

Aim: This study seeks to examine the cure characteristics and rheological properties of modified kaolin – Natural rubber vulcanizates.

Methodology: Metal salt of rubber seed oil (RSO-Na) was used to modify kaolin and was then introduced into Natural Rubber (NR) by melt intercalation to produce vulcanizates mixed with various compositions of pristine and modified kaolin (2 - 10 Parts per hundred rubbers).

Results: Characterization of the modified kaolin using X- ray diffraction revealed increase in d-spacing from 7.15 to 14 Ǻ. Torque minimum (ML), torque maximum (MH) which are correlated with hardness increased with increasing organoclay loading. The storage modulus (G1), loss modulus (G11 and complex viscosity (Ƞcomplex) increased with increase in modified kaolin thus showing remarkable improvements of the vulcanizates.

Conclusion: The results from the study indicate that the modified filled kaolin has a dramatic improvement on the NR composite compared to the pristine.