Effects of ageing conditions on degradation of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber filled with heat-treated ZnO star-shaped particles in rapeseed biodiesel

The degradation of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) after exposure to biodiesel at different oxygen partial pressures in an automated ageing equipment at 80 °C, and in a high-pressure autoclave at 150 °C was studied. The oxidation of biodiesel was promoted by an increase in oxygen concentration, resulting in a larger uptake of fuel in the rubber due to internal cavitation, a greater decrease in the strain-at-break of NBR due to the coalescence of cavity, and a faster increase in the crosslinking density and carbonyl index due to the promotion of the oxidation of NBR. During the high-temperature autoclave ageing, less fuel was absorbed in the rubber, because the formation of hydroperoxides and acids was impeded. The extensibility of NBR aged in the autoclave decreased only slightly due to the cleavage of rubber chains by the biodiesel attack. The degradation of NBR in the absence of carbon black was explained as being due to oxidative crosslinking. The dissolution of ZnO crystals in the acidic components of biodiesel was retarded by removing the inter-particle porosity and surface defects through heat treating star-shaped ZnO particles. The rubber containing heat-treated ZnO particles swelled less in biodiesel than a NBR filled with commercial ZnO nanoparticles, and showed a smaller decrease in the strain-at-break and less oxidative crosslinking.