Influence of Bio-Based Plasticizers on the Properties of NBR Materials

Abstract

A high number of technical elastomer products contain plasticizers for tailoring material properties. Some additives used as plasticizers pose a health risk or have inadequate material properties. Therefore, research is going on in this field to find sustainable alternatives for conventional plasticizers. In this paper, two modified bio-based plasticizers (epoxidized esters of glycerol formal from soybean and canola oil) are of main interest. The study aimed to determine the influence of these sustainable plasticizers on the properties of acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber (NBR). For comparison, the influence of conventional plasticizers, e.g., treated distillate aromatic extract (TDAE) and Mesamoll® were additionally investigated. Two types of NBR with different ratios of monomers formed the polymeric basis of the prepared elastomers. The variation of the monomer ratio results in different polarities, and therefore, compatibility between the NBR and plasticizers should be influenced. The mechanical characteristics were investigated. In parallel, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were performed and filler macro-dispersion was determined. Bio-based plasticizers were shown to have better mechanical and thermal properties compared to conventional plasticizers. Further, thermo-oxidative aging was realized for 500 h, and afterwards, mechanical characterizations were done. It was observed that bio-based plasticizers have almost the same aging properties compared to conventional plasticizers.

Developments of biobased plasticizers for compostable polymers in the green packaging applications: A review

“…These biobased plasticizers have substantial impact on mechanical properties 32 . Two modified biobased plasticizers (ECO and Canola Oil [CO]) were incorporated into acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber (NBR) to investigate the mechanical properties, in comparison with petrochemical plasticizers such as treated distillate aromatic extract (TDAE) and Mesamoll.…”

Study on the Synthesis of Castor Oil-Based Plasticizer and the Properties of Plasticized Nitrile Rubber

“…Hence, it is necessary to add plasticizers to reduce the viscosity and improve its processability [4]. The plasticizers commonly used in NBR are mainly phthalate esters, which contain ester bonds that can form hydrogen bonds with the cyano groups in the NBR molecule to make plasticizers; thus, offering the copolymer good compatibility [5]. However, considering the direct and indirect threats of phthalate plasticizers to humans and the environment, it is necessary to explore alternative renewable plasticizers for nitrile rubber [6].…”

“…Vegetable oils contain fatty acid glyceride bonds, which are polar and highly compatible with NBR (high ACN content). Therefore, vegetable oils have great potential application value in NBR [5]. However, a lot of vegetable oils, such as soybean oil, linseed oil, palm oil, olive oil, etc., were used in NR [4,8], SBR [9][10][11], EPDM [12,13], etc., while its use in NBR was relatively less [14][15][16], which did not materialize the characteristics of vegetable oils naturally containing polar groups.…”

Advances in Elastomers

“…The environmental issue aspects in terms of hazardous waste management and bio-based resources are the subjects of the first two publications [ 5 , 6 ]. Prochon et al used buffing dust collagen (BDC) originating from a waste product of the chromium tanning process in the leather industry as a modern filler in styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) [ 5 ].…”

“…Continuous material development is essentially important not only in the rubber industry. Rahman et al proved the advantageous effect of bio-based plasticizers not only from the material resources viewpoint, but also as a processing aid positively affecting the complete process chain [ 6 ]. They investigated the suitability of two bio-based plasticizers, namely epoxidized esters of glycerol formal from soybean and canola oil, as sustainable alternatives with lower health risks compared to conventional plasticizers.…”