Failure properties of thermoplastic elastomers from polyethylene/nitrile rubber blends: Effect of blend ratio,dynamic vulcanization,and filler incorporation

Thermoplastic elastomers from blends of high‐density polyethylene and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber were prepared by a melt‐blending technique. The blends were dynamically vulcanized using sulfur, peroxide, and mixed curing systems. The peroxide concentration was varied to obtain samples of varying degrees of crosslinking. The peroxide system showed better mechanical properties. The crosslink density determination by the equilibrium swelling method revealed that the enhancement in properties can be correlated to the extent of crosslinking. It is observed that the effect of dynamic vulcanization on the property improvement is much more pronounced in rubber‐rich blends. To study the effect of filler incorporation on mechanical properties, fillers such as carbon black, silica, silane‐treated silica, and cork‐filled samples were prepared. All filled systems, except cork filled, exhibited superior mechanical properties. Scanning electron micrographs of selected fractured surfaces were analyzed to study the failure mechanism of the different compositions. Various theoretical models were applied to correlate the observed mechanical behavior with that of theoretically predicted values. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 2912–2929, 2006