A new electrostatic field strength meter has been described which measures and records, not only the magnitude of electrostatic fields, but also their polarity. This device has been used in a study of the mastication of rubber, and has furnished data which indicate that rubber becomes less negative, and may actually become positive, as mastication proceeds ; this indicates in turn an oxidation of the molecules as well as an electronic rearrangement and orientation of the rubber molecular chains. Data on GR-S polymerized at different temperatures show entirely different electrostatic breakdown curves, which, with other physical characteristics, indicate unusual properties of the crude low-temperature polymers; e.g., high molar weight, long-chain molecules, already or easily oriented, which do not oxidize or break up appreciably on mastication. A partial correlation of Mooney viscosity and electrostatic contact-potential and field strength has been shown for rubber and GR-S which have been masticated on a rubber mill. The new electrostatic-field strength meter shows promise as a new tool which can be used in processing control, and also as a research instrument for obtaining fundamental information on mastication, pigment dispersion and incorporation, as well as an aid in forming new concepts concerning the structure of matter.

No abstract

1. A new apparatus has been described for measuring the contact potential of powdered reinforcing pigments. 2. With this apparatus, contact potentials on MPC and FT blacks, fine and coarse particle size zinc oxides, whiting, and barytes show correlation with their reinforcing properties in natural rubber and cis-1 ,4-polybutadiene rubber. 3. Contact potentials of Hi-Sil, Suprex clay, coated zinc oxides and coated calcium carbonate pigments showed no correlation with their reinforcing properties in rubber. 4. Contact potentials on the minerals, diamond, quartz, zinc oxide, calcite and barite correlated with the reinforcing properties of their pigment counterparts. 5. Contact potentials of the minerals also correlated with Mohs hardness. 6. Contact potentials on coated zinc oxide pigments correlated with their improved processing properties in rubber. 7. A new apparatus has been described for measuring the contact potentials of cured stocks in which cut surfaces, rather than molded surfaces, are used. Greater accuracy is possible due to the elimination of surface bloom and other surface contamination. 8. Contact potentials measured on the cut surface of cis-1,4-polybutadiene stocks containing various pigments showed good correlation with their reinforcing properties, thus confirming, with this new rubber, the Electrostatic Contact Potential Theory of Reinforcement.