Thermoplastic natural rubber based on polyamide-12: Influence of blending technique and type of rubber on temperature scanning stress relaxation and other related properties

• Published in: Journal of applied polymer science Vol. 121; no. 2; pp. 805 - 814
• Main Authors: Narathichat, M., Kummerlöwe, C., Vennemann, N., Nakason, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 15.07.2011; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Blends; Dynamics; epoxidized natural rubber; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Morphology; Natural polymers; Natural rubber; Physicochemistry of polymers; polyamide-12; Polymers; Rubber; simple blend; Stress relaxation; thermoplastic natural rubber; Vulcanization; Vulcanizing; Polymer blends; Mechanical properties; Thermoplastic rubber; Natural rubber; Tensile property; Hardness; Experimental study; Property processing relationship; Thermal stability; Thermal properties; Vulcanization; thermoplastic natural rubber; Stress relaxation; Vulcanizate; simple blend; Morphology; Aliphatic polymer; polyamide-12; Amide 12 polymer; Epoxidized natural rubber
• ISSN: 0021-8995; 1097-4628; 1097-4628
• DOI: 10.1002/app.33528

Thermoplastic natural rubber based on polyamide‐12 (PA‐12) blend was prepared by melt blending technique. Influence of blending techniques (i.e., simple blend and dynamic vulcanization) and types of natural rubber (i.e., unmodified natural rubber (NR) and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR)) on properties of the blends were investigated. It was found that the simple blends with the proportion of rubber ∼ 60 wt % exhibited cocontinuous phase structure while the dynamically cured blends showed dispersed morphology. Furthermore, the blend of ENR exhibited superior mechanical properties, stress relaxation behavior, and fine grain morphology than those of the blend of the unmodified NR. This is attributed to chemical interaction between oxirane groups in ENR molecules and polar functional groups in PA‐12 molecules which caused higher interfacial adhesion. It was also found that the dynamic vulcanization caused enhancement of strength and hardness properties. Temperature scanning stress relaxation measurement revealed improvement of stress relaxation properties and thermal resistance of the dynamically cured ENR/PA‐12 blend. This is attributed to synergistic effects of dynamic vulcanization of ENR and chemical reaction of the ENR and PA‐12 molecules. Furthermore, the dynamically cured ENR/PA‐12 blend exhibited smaller rubber particles dispersed in the PA‐12 matrix. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011