Rheological behavior of CPE/NR blends filled with precipitated silica

Abstract

Blends of elastomeric chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) and natural rubber (NR) at the blend composition ratio of 80/20 CPE/NR with various precipitated silica loadings from 0 to 30 phr were prepared. Their rheological behaviors were determined using two rheometers with different shear modes, i.e., the oscillatory rheometer (Rubber Process Analyzer, RPA2000) and the rate-controlled capillary rheometer (Goettfert Rheotester 2000). Results obtained reveal that the viscoelastic behavior of blends is influenced remarkably by loadings of silica. Within the oscillatory shear strains of 0.3-30%, the unfilled blend appears to be almost insensitive to shear strain that means the unfilled blend possesses a broad linear viscoelastic (LVE) region. As silica is incorporated, the elastic modulus (G′) of blends increases, particularly at silica loadings of 20 and 30 phr. The increase in G′ as a function of silica loading could be explained by a reinforcing effect via a hydrodynamic effect as well as a strong interaction between chlorine atoms on CPE molecules and silanol functional groups on silica surfaces associated with a formation of silica tridimensional transient network, usually known as a secondary filler network. Also, all blends with various loadings of precipitated silica reveal an increase in elasticity with increasing frequency, and those with high silica loadings (i.e., 20 and 30 phr) give a more time-independent elastic response, which supports the presence of filler transient network in these blends. By applying the Cox and Merz concept to the rheological results, the superimposition of flow curves determined from of the oscillatory shear flow and steady shear flow in the highly silica filled blends is possible if the silica transient network effect is eliminated. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.