Effect of Unmodified and Modified Epoxidized Soyabean Oils on Properties of Black-NBR Compounds and Black-NBR Vulcanizates
In this study, feasibility of using epoxidized soyabean oil (ESO) and n-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine modified ESO (pA-m-ESO) as rubber processing oil in a formulation of carbon black filled acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) compound was investigated. It is seen that properties of the NBR compounds (i.e., total mixing energy, dump temperature, Mooney viscosity and curing characteristic) with using the DOP and the ESO were comparable, unlike the compound with using the pA-m-ESO. However, after vulcanization the NBR vulcanizate with using the DOP showed superior modulus, tensile strength and hardness than those of the others. This is due to interaction between the processing oil and the NBR phases as well as reinforcing effect of the carbon black on NBR molecules. However, no differences of dispersion and distribution of carbon black in the NBR vulcanizates with varying types of processing oil were observed.