fiber reinforced rubber

[jandrew156]

I was wondering if anyone has experience or tips in mixing reinforcing fibers into natural rubber.
The goal is to take away some of the rubber's elasticity, while still maintaining its coefficient of friction.
Actually, I am wondering if this is even possible.
Thanks!

 

[Compositepro]

Yes it is commonly done. One application is sealant where the sealant needs to be removed cleanly at some later time. Fibers can significantly improve abrasion resistance of rubbers.

 

[GrahamBennett]

On the equipment side you will need:

1. Intermix-type mixer.
2. 2x mills sized to fit with the mixer.
3. Straining extruder to remove grit etc from the compounds
4. Rubber extruder.
5. Microwave and hot air curing tunnels.
6. Length cutter.

I'm in no position to help regarding the formulations used as I work for the Malaysian Rubber Board and they won't let me help other asian-based companies.

 

[GrahamBennett]

Sorry posted on the wrong thread.

 

[tom1953]

Depending on the fiber you're considering, it may be difficult to get it completely and evenly dispersed in your compound. There are Kevlar "engineered elastomers" which have Kevlar dispersed in various polymers, natural rubber included. Some info can be found at

http://www.rtvanderbilt.com/rubber_20_15.htm.

Other fibers may also be available from other sources in a dispersed form.

As mentioned, these fibers can be difficult to disperse into rubber, so you would want to add the fiber at the very beginning of the mix cycle. It may be desirable to mix the fiber into your polymer first, as a separate mixing step, then , in a second mixing step add your other ingredients and mix as you normally would.

A while back, I did a study on different levels of Kevlar in a millable urethane (using a Kevlar/NBR masterbatch). Let me know if you want any info on that.

Tom Jablonowski, TSE Industries, Inc.

http://www.tse-industries.com