| Abstract: | The present paper investigates the interaction of silica filler in uncompatibilized and compatibilized styrene butadiene rubber/nitrile rubber (SBR/NBR) blends of varying compositions. The use of a dynamic mechanical analyzer as a tool for confirming the compatibility by the addition of dichlorocarbene modified styrene butadiene rubber (DCSBR) in these blends has been described. The addition of silica in uncompatibilized as well as compatibilized blends has been found to be increasing the rheometric-processing characteristics such as maximum viscosity and rate of cure. The magnitude of these values has been found to be higher for compatibilized blends and for 50/50 composition. The optimum cure time has been found to be decreasing with silica loading regardless of the presence of the compatibilizer. The magnitude of optimum cure time has been found to be higher for uncompatibilized system and for the composition with higher SBR content. Enhancement in mechanical properties with the addition of silica has been observed for compatibilized blends, more intensely than uncompatibilized samples. A good correlation between mechanical properties and solvent sorption behavior has also been observed. |
