Rheological properties and compatibility of NR/EPDM and NR/brominated EPDM blends

Ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer (EPDM) was modified by bromination reaction. Blending the resulting brominated EPDM with natural rubber (STR5L) and blending the unmodified EPDM with STR5L at various compositions were carried out. The rheological properties of the blends were investigated using a capillary extrusion. Shear flow curves of the pure rubbers and their blends illustrated the pseudoplastic property as shear thinning behavior with a power law index n < 1. True shear viscosity of all blends showed the negative deviation in relation to their additive values. Rheological behavior and two T_g's found from the DSC thermograms at all blend compositions indicated blend incompatibility for both sets of blends. The incompatibility of the vulcanized blends was also found by measuring the spin–spin relaxation time T₂ by pulsed NMR. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 837–847, 2003