Curing Characteristics and Tear Properties of Bentonite Filled Ethylene Propylene Diene (EPDM) Rubber Composites

The effect of bentonite clay loading on curing characteristics and tear strength of bentonite filled ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) composite were studied. Compounding was carried out on two-roll mill and vulcanization was done at 1500C. Torque values, scorch time and optimum cure time of the prepared rubber compound were assessed by using Mosanto Disc Rheometer (MDR 2000). Results indicated that the maximum torque of EPDM/Bt composite decreases at high bentonite loading. Increasing in values with increasing bentonite loading was recorded for minimum torque and optimum cure time of EPDM/Bt composite. The increase is related with the increase in viscosity due to the increasing of bentonite clay loading in EPDM matrix. Scorch time was found to be decreasing up to 30 phr bentonite clay. Results also show that tear strength of EPDM/Bt composite increased with increasing bentonite loading up to 90 phr. The reason is probably due to agglomeration occur causes the reduction in properties at high loading above 90 phr bentonite clay. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of tear fracture surface of EPDM/Bt composite illustrated that with increasing bentonite loading up to 90 phr bentonite clay, a better dispersion of bentonite clay is achieved as compared to lower loading, resulting in high tear strength value for EPDM/Bt composite.