Rice husk ash was incorporated into natural rubber (NR) using a laboratory size two-roll mill. Curing using a conventional vulcanization system (CV) was chosen, and cure studies were carried out on a Monsanto rheometer. Physical testing of the NR vulcanizates involved the determination of tensile, tear, and abrasion resistances, and hardness. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis was done to verify the presence of the characteristic functional groups of precipitated silica in MHA (milled husk ash) and THA (treated husk ash). The effect of the coupling agent, bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)-tetrasulfane (Si-69), on the curing and physical properties of the vulcanizates was investigated. A chemical treatment on a rice husk ash was done, and the effects of this procedure are also reported. For comparison, two commercial fillers, precipitated silica (Zeosil-175) and carbon black (N774), were also used. Although the presence of the silane coupling agent had not brought the expected increase in properties, treated husk ash showed exceptional performance in terms of tensile strength and abrasion resistance of the filled vulcanizates.

Compósitos de polipropileno com 10, 20 e 30% em volume de fibra de coco verde foram obtidos em câmara de mistura Haake, tendo como variáveis a temperatura de processamento e a velocidade de cisalhamento. O módulo de flexão e as características morfológicas dos diferentes compósitos obtidos foram avaliados e comparados com o polipropileno puro. Foi observado que a temperatura de 170 °C, a velocidade do rotor de 60rpm e o teor de fibra de coco verde de 30% forneceram o melhor desempenho quanto à flexão. Essas observações foram comprovadas pela análise da morfologia.

As borrachas, para serem convertidas em materiais úteis do ponto de vista de aplicações, precisam ser misturadas a alguns ingredientes, os quais vão lhes dar as características desejadas para, então, serem vulcanizadas. Neste artigo, os aspectos históricos da vulcanização são abordados bem como a evolução dos aditivos essenciais à maioria das formulações.

Black rice husk ash (BRHA) and white rice husk ash (WRHA) were incorporated into natural rubber (NR) using a laboratory-size two-roll mill. A conventional vulcanization system (CV) was chosen and cure studies were carried out on a TI-100 Curometer. The torque curves were obtained at 150, 160, 170, and 180°C. The overall rate and the apparent activation energy for the vulcanization process were calculated for each compound assuming that vulcanization follows first-order kinetics. For comparison purposes, two commercial fillers, precipitated silica (Zeosil-175) and carbon black (N762), were also used. It was observed that addition of WRHA to NR compounds increased the cross-linking rate and lowered the apparent activation energy more markedly than the other fillers.

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