Abstract. Low-temperature reactive mixing of controlled electron beam modified Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nanopowder with Ethylene-Propylene-Diene-Monomer (EPDM) rubber produced PTFE coupled EPDM rubber compounds with desired physical properties. The radiation-induced chemical alterations in PTFE nanopowder, determined by electron spin resonance (ESR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, showed increasing concentration of radicals and carboxylic groups (-COOH) with increasing irradiation dose. The morphological variations of the PTFE nanopowder including its decreasing mean agglomerate size with the absorbed dose was investigated by particle size and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. With increasing absorbed dose the wettability of the modified PTFE nanopowder determined by contact angle method increased in accordance with the (-COOH) concentration. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that modified PTFE nanopowder is obviously enwrapped by EPDM. This leads to a characteristic compatible interphase around the modified PTFE. Crystallization studies by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) also revealed the existence of a compatible interphase in the modified PTFE coupled EPDM. Vol.2, No.4 (2008) [284][285][286][287][288][289][290][291][292][293] Available online at www.expresspolymlett.com DOI: 10.3144/expresspolymlett.2008.34 powder was specially utilized in NBR to expand its utility as wear-resistant material for sealing applications [25]. PTFE micropowders produced by emulsion polymerization are low-molecular weight fine coagulated powder commonly used as an additive in variety of applications [26][27]. In the previous study, PTFE coupled EPDM compounds were produced by reactive mixing of pre-modified PTFE nanopowder with EPDM [28]. In the present work the influence of dose-controlled agglomerate size, structural morphology and interfacial compatibility of PTFE nanopowder on the physical properties of the resulting modified PTFE-EPDM blends are presented. These investigations are of extreme importance especially in the development of new rubber compounds which require optimization of both the physical and tribological properties [29][30]. It has been shown that the desired physical properties can be achieved simply by controlled modification of PTFE nanopowder.
Keywords: mechanical properties, PTFE nanopowder, EPDM, electron beam irradiation, compatibility eXPRESS Polymer Letters
Materials and experimental
MaterialsBoth EPDM (Buna EP G 6850) with ethylidene norbornene (ENB) content 7.7 wt%; ethylene content 51 wt%; Mooney viscosity, ML (1+4) at 125°C, 60; ash content 0.2 wt%; specific gravity, 0.86; and peroxide (Perkadox 14-40 MB GR) were supplied from Lanxess Deutschland GmbH, Germany while coagent (R-20S/Saret 634C) was used from Sartomer, USA. Algoflon L100X an emulsion grade received from Solvay Solexis S.p.A, Italy is an agglomerated white PTFE nanopowder with the bulk density and surface area of 0.25-0.44 g·cm -3 and 26 g·m -2 , respectively.
Modification of...