Cure characteristics, tensile properties and swelling behaviour of recycled rubber powder-filled natural rubber compounds

The effect of recycled rubber powder (RRP) on cure characteristics, tensile properties and swelling behaviour of natural rubber (NR) compounds was investigated in the concentration range of 0 to 50 phr. Results indicate that the minimum torque and Mooney viscosity of the natural rubber compounds increase with increasing RRP loading whereas the scorch time and cure time exhibit a decreasing trend. Increasing RRP loading also gives natural rubber compounds better resistance towards swelling and reduces the elongation at break but the tensile stress, M100 (stress at 100% elongation) and M300 (stress at 300% elongation), increases slightly. However, the tensile strength increases up to 10 phr of RRP and then decreases. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.