Curing analysis of rubber film on a Hand-Shaped former in the manufacturing of rubber gloves through novel OpenFOAM solver
Issued Date
2024-09-01
Resource Type
ISSN
0142727X
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85196204943
Journal Title
International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow
Volume
108
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow Vol.108 (2024)
Suggested Citation
Loksupapaiboon K., Suvanjumrat C. Curing analysis of rubber film on a Hand-Shaped former in the manufacturing of rubber gloves through novel OpenFOAM solver. International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow Vol.108 (2024). doi:10.1016/j.ijheatfluidflow.2024.109476 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/98993
Title
Curing analysis of rubber film on a Hand-Shaped former in the manufacturing of rubber gloves through novel OpenFOAM solver
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Author's Affiliation
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Abstract
Vulcanization, or curing, is a crucial aspect of rubber- or polymer-product manufacturing. Determining the optimal curing time for rubbery components is a significant challenge in the rubber industry. This study focuses on enhancing a computational fluid dynamics code used for simulating the conjugate heat transfer of nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) glove curing. Non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry was employed to analyze the NBR glove-curing process, utilizing constant heating rates ranging from 2.5 to 20 °C/min. Activation-energy calculations employing four isoconversional methods and multivariate nonlinear regression played a pivotal role in determining the most appropriate curing-kinetics model. The multivariate nonlinear regression yielded well-fitted outcomes with a residual sum of squares ranking from 0.44 × 10−3 to 1.60 × 10−3, indicating the suitability of the novel curing-kinetics model for the NBR curing process. After obtaining the appropriate model, adjustments were made to the novel conjugate heat-transfer solver in OpenFOAM to forecast the degree of curing during the heating process. Experimental results from a hot-air counter-flow NBR film in the tray affirmed the accuracy of the solver, demonstrating an impressive R2 value of 0.98. Consequently, the novel solver was applied to simulate the curing process of the NBR film coating on a hand-shaped former surface, offering a visual representation of the degree of curing distribution on the NBR glove. The non-uniform curing and weak curing surface of the NBR glove were revealed, which can be used for estimating the optimal conditions for the curing process or designing an appropriate curing oven for rubber glove manufacturing in the future.