The Science and Practice of Rubber Mixing

Manufacturing rubber products requires the use of many additives. Therefore, mixing of the additives with the rubber is a very important step in the processing of rubber. There has been extensive research to try to understand the relationships between the formulation and the properties of the final product. In an industry with more than 100 years accumulated history and a number of possible combinations of ingredients in the rubber formulation, there is an enormous amount of knowledge. However, this knowledge of exists in fragments scattered as in-house 'know-how' among manufacturers and in the personal experience of the individual operators. This book organises this fragmented knowledge into a coherent whole based on scientific principles. Each chapter is fully referenced and extensively illustrated. This book is written for students, teachers and those in the rubber industry, who wish to acquire a scientific viewpoint of mixing. Last but not least it is written for the researchers in this field. With the latter in mind, subjects for future research are indicated wherever appropriate. With varied readers in mind, each chapter is written in such a way that it may be read independently from others.

Contents

• Mill Processability
• Mixing of Rubber
• Viscoelasticity and Fracture
• Characterisation using Dilute Solution methods
• Viscoelastic Characterisation of Gum Rubber
• Viscoelastic Characterisation of Rubber Compounds
• Rheology of Gum Rubber and Compound
• Reinforcing Fillers and Liquid Additives
• The Energy Aspects of Mixing Rubber
• Mixing Mechanisms
• Post-Mixing Processes
• Material Testing, Quality Control and Process Control
• Mixing of Rubber without using a Mill or Internal Mixer

About the author Professor Nakajima was born in Japan and received his first degree from Tokyo University. In 1958 he obtained a PhD from Case Institute of Technology. Before joining The University of Akron in 1984, he was R&D Fellow at the B.F. Goodrich Company, Manager of the Plastics Division of the Allied Chemical Company, section leader in the Polymer Division of the W R Grace Company and a production supervisor at the Osaka Gas Company. He has written over 150 papers on Rheology and solution properties of polymers. He is an active member of the Society of Rheology, the ACS and the American Physical Society.

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