Rubber Processing

Production
Production of rubber goods can be divided into two
basic steps
production of the rubber itself
Processing of the rubber into finished goods
Production of rubber differs, depending on whether it
is natural or synthetic.
The difference results from the source of the raw
materials.
Natural rubber (NR) is produced as an agricultural crop,
Most synthetic rubbers are made from petroleum
Natural Rubber
Natural rubber is tapped from rubber trees as
latex
The trees are grown on plantations
Latex is a colloidal dispersion of solid particles
of the polymer polyisoprene in water

Synthetic Rubber
Most synthetics are produced from
petroleum by the same polymerization
techniques used to synthesize other polymers
Unlike thermoplastic and thermosetting
polymers, which are normally supplied to the
fabricator as pellets or liquid resins, synthetic
rubbers are supplied to rubber processors in
the form of large bales
COMPOUNDING
Rubber is always compounded with additives
It is through compounding that the specific
rubber is designed to satisfy the given application
in terms of properties, cost, and processability
Compounding adds chemicals for vulcanization
Traditionally Sulphur is used
Additives include fillers that act either to enhance
the rubbers mechanical properties (reinforcing
fillers) or to extend the rubber to reduce cost
(nonreinforcing fillers).
COMPOUNDING
The single most important reinforcing filler in rubber is
carbon black, a colloidal form of carbon, black in color,
obtained from the thermal decomposition of
hydrocarbons (soot).
Its effect is to increase tensile strength and resistance
to abrasion and tearing of the final rubber product.
Carbon black also provides protection from ultraviolet
radiation.
These enhancements are especially important in tires.
Most rubber parts are black in color because of their
carbon black content.
MIXING
The additives must be thoroughly mixed with the
base rubber to achieve uniform dispersion of the
ingredients.
Uncured rubbers possess high viscosity.
Mechanical working experienced by the rubber
can increase its temperature up to 150C (300F).
If vulcanizing agents were present from the start
of mixing, premature vulcanization would result
MIXING
The two-roll mill consists of two parallel rolls,
supported in a frame so they can be brought
together to obtain a desired nip (gap size), and
driven to rotate at the same or slightly different
speeds.
An internal mixer has two rotors encased in a
jacket
The rotors have blades and rotate in opposite
directions at different speeds, causing a complex
flow pattern in the contained mixture.
MIXING
SHAPING
Shaping processes for rubber products can be
divided into four basic categories:
Extrusion
Calendering
Coating
Molding and casting.

Extrusion
Extrusion of polymers is discussed in the preceding
chapter
Screw extruders are generally used for extrusion of
rubber
As with extrusion of thermosetting plastics, the L/D ratio
of the extruder barrels is less than for thermoplastics,
typically in the range 10 to 15, to reduce the risk of
premature crosslinking
Die swell occurs in rubber extrudates, because the
polymer is in a highly plastic
condition and exhibits
the memory property
Calendering
This process involves passing rubber stock through a series of gaps
of decreasing size made by a stand of rotating rolls (Section 13.3).
The rubber process must be operated at lower temperatures than
for thermoplastic polymers, to avoid premature vulcanization.
Also, equipment used in the rubber industry is of heavier
construction than that used for thermoplastics, because rubber is
more viscous and harder to form.
The output of the process is a rubber sheet of thickness determined
by the final roll gap
Swelling occurs in the sheet, causing its thickness to be slightly
greater than the gap size.
Calendering can also be used to coat or impregnate textile fabrics to
produce rubberized fabrics.
Calendering
There are problems in producing thick sheet
by either extrusion or calendering.
Thickness control is difficult in the former
process, and air entrapment occurs in the
latter.
These problems are largely solved when
extrusion and calendering are combined in the
roller die process
Coating
Coating or impregnating fabrics with rubber is an
important process in the rubber industry.
These composite materials are used in automobile
tires, conveyor belts, inflatable rafts, and waterproof
cloth for tarpaulins, tents, and rain coats.
The coating of rubber onto substrate fabrics includes a
variety of processes:
Calendering
Skimming
Dipping
Spraying
Molding and Casting
Molded articles include shoe soles and heels,
gaskets and seals, suction cups, and bottle stops.
Many foamed rubber parts are produced by
molding.
In addition, molding is an important process in
tire production.
Principal molding processes for rubber are (1)
compression molding, (2) transfer molding, and
(3) injection molding
VULCANIZATION
Vulcanization is the treatment that
accomplishes crosslinking of elastomer
molecules, so that the rubber becomes stiffer
and stronger but retains extensibility.
It is a critical step in the rubber processing
sequence.
Vulcanization
Vulcanization, as it was first invented by Goodyear,
involved the use of sulfur (about 8 parts by weight of S
mixed with 100 parts of natural rubber) at a
temperature of 140C (280F) for about 5 hours.
No other chemicals were included in the process.
Vulcanization with sulfur alone is no longer used as a
commercial treatment today, because of the long
curing times.
Various other chemicals, including zinc oxide (ZnO) and
stearic acid are combined with smaller doses of sulfur
to accelerate and strengthen the treatment.
The resulting cure time is 15 to 20 minutes for a typical
passenger car tire.
In addition, various non-sulfur vulcanizing treatments
have been developed.