Studies on Adhesion Between Natural Rubber and Polyethylene and the Role of Adhesion Promoters

Studies on adhesion between natural rubber (NR) and polyethylene (PE) with different levels of interaction (physical and chemical) have been carried out. Ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) and chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) were used as physical promoters and epoxidised natural rubber/modified polyethylene (ENR/PEm) and sulfonated ethylene propylene diene rubber/modified polyethylene (S-EPDM/PEm) were used as chemical adhesion promoters. The failure surfaces were examined with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical photography and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) techniques.

The peel strength between natural rubber and polyethylene as measured in this study is 140 J/m². With the incorporation of physical promoters such as EPDM, the peel strength increases twenty fold because of structural similarity of EPDM with PE and the rubbery nature of EPDM. Similarly, the other promoters show significant improvement in peel strength. At high temperature and low rate of peeling, the nature of failure is mainly “stick-slip” for joints with interaction promoters. The average peel strength increases with increase in test rate and decrease in test temperature for most of the joints. All the data could be shifted onto a master curve indicating that the increase in strength is a result of viscoelastic dissipation. NR/EPDM/PE and NR/CPE/PE systems, however, behave in a different way probably because they alter the nature of crack propagation at or near the interface. ESCA results of the peeled PE surface show a chemical shift of C_1S peak. SEM photographs also indicate interaction at the interface when modifiers are used. An increase in crystallinity of PE from 30% to 64% and modulus increase the peel strength of NR/PE joints by a factor of four. The results of peel strength measurement at 90° are lower than those at 180°. Lap shear results are in line with peel strength.