In this work the use of polyurethane chemical recycling product (i.e. glycolysis of polyurethane waste realized with the mass excess of polymer) as a plasticizer for natural rubber-based composites was proposed. The effect of plasticizer type (napthenic oil and polyurethane foam glycolysate) and amount (2, 4, 6 or 8 parts per 100 parts of natural rubber) on the processing properties of rubber mixtures and chemical structure, swelling, mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of natural rubber/carbon black composites was investigated. The effect of applied plasticizer was studied in the context of accelerated thermal aging (thermo-oxidative aging) which was applied for the prepared natural rubber-based composites. The obtained results confirm that the polyurethane foam glycolysate can be successfully used as a plasticizer for the preparation of natural rubber composites. Moreover, it was found that glycolysate acts as a vulcanization accelerator and reduces decreasing of mechanical properties during the accelerated thermal aging.Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Studies on the use of energetic ion beams for material modication have been initiated originally within the Manhattan project and have been continuously developed since then. The consecutive steps were devoted to the studies of ion implantation into semiconductors, metals, ceramics and, most recently, organic materials. One of the latest areas of applications is modication of elastomers, commonly known as rubbers. In the present paper the results of the studies on structural and functional properties of irradiated elastomers will be presented with the special emphasis on the materials used in aviation and military applications. Among the structural modications, a massive loss of hydrogen atoms appears as the most peculiar characteristic of irradiated elastomers. Functional properties of irradiated rubbers: microhardness and friction coecient, will be presented and application potential of the materials discussed.