Effect of different sulphur-based crosslink networks on the nitrile rubber resistance to biodiesel

Biodiesel possesses some comparable physical properties to petroleum diesel in addition to its improved environmental benefits. Nonetheless, both fuels differ greatly with respect to their chemical compositions. Therefore, the compatibility of the materials, which are commonly employed in contact with diesel, must also be assured for biodiesel. This paper assessed the influence of sulphur-based curing systems on the resistance of nitrile rubber to soybean biodiesel. Formulations were prepared using high-acrylonitrile-content nitrile rubber by employing a two-level experimental design. The amounts of two different accelerators and sulphur were varied to achieve different types of vulcanisation systems. Thermal analyses, mechanical tests and microscopy analyses were conducted to evaluate the behaviour of the material after contact with biodiesel. The results showed that the choice of the accelerator played an important role on the resistance of the rubber to the biofuel, and crosslink density was not a key factor with respect to the resistance.