Compatibility enhancement of silica and natural rubber compound using UVA-induced silane-grafted saponified skim natural rubber

Silane coupling agents are potential reagents widely used to improve the compatibility between silica and less polar rubber, especially natural rubber (NR). Nevertheless, high temperature is generally required to generate the interaction between the components during the mixing process. Accordingly, an alternative method by grafting the silane coupling agent onto the rubber molecules would be a desirable approach to develop a compatibilizer for the silica-filled NR compound. In this work, skim NR was used as a starting material due to its linear structure. The optimal conditions of the grafting reaction were found to be 1 phr of an alkoxy silane and 5 phr of benzoyl peroxide under 8 min of UVA irradiation time. These conditions were applied for producing the rubber material used in the mixing process of STR 5L and silica. The cure characteristics, silica dispersion and mechanical properties of the rubber compounds were improved, suggesting that the modified rubber was an efficient material for increasing the compatibility between silica and NR.     

Use of oscillating heat pipe technique as extended surface in wire-on-tube heat exchanger for heat transfer enhancement

This paper presents the performance of a wire-on-tube heat exchanger of which the wire is an oscillating heat pipe. The experiments for this heat exchanger were performed in a wind tunnel by exchanging heat between hot water flowing inside the heat exchanger tubes and air stream flowing across the external surface. R123, methanol and acetone were selected as working fluids of the oscillating heat pipe. The inlet water temperature was varied from 45 to 85 °C while the inlet air temperature was kept constant at 25 °C.     

Pre‐Vulcanization of Large and Small Natural Rubber Latex Particles: Film‐Forming Behavior and Mechanical Properties

The pre‐vulcanized large rubber particle (LRP) and small rubber particle (SRP) latices are independently prepared to investigate their film‐forming process and mechanical properties after being cast into films. The surface morphologies and roughness of both LRP and SRP films are found to be dependent on crosslink densities. The networks inside each rubber particle (RP) restrict particle deformation resulting in residual contour of RP within the film surface. For highly crosslinked RP, the collapse of the top surface of the RPs in the LRP films appears to create many “crater‐like” structures within the film surfaces, while they present only protruding particles within the SRP and blend films. This seems to indicate that LRPs are easier to coalesce and form film than SRPs. Additionally, dynamic and mechanical properties and strain‐induced crystallization (SIC) behaviors of the latex films, are effectively enhanced after pre‐vulcanization. The pre‐vulcanized LRP films perform better tensile properties and SIC than the SRP can.