RUBBER & ITS

PROPERTIES
Hikmat Al Salim
Natural Rubber - or Caoutchouc 2
It is derived from latex, a
milky colloid produced by
some plants. The plants
are ‘tapped’, that is, an
incision made into the
bark of the tree and the
sticky, milk colored latex
sap collected and refined
into a usable rubber
RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES
What is “Rubber”? 3

• “A material that can be stretched to at least twice its original length and will retract rapidly
and forcibly to substantially its original dimensions upon release off the force..”

RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES

 Owing to the presence of a double bond in each
repeat unit, natural rubber is susceptible to 4
vulcanisation and sensitive to ozone cracking
Latex is a natural polymer of isoprene (most often
cis-1,4-polyisoprene) – with a molecular weight of
100,000 to 1,000,000. Typically, a small
percentage (up to 5% of dry mass) of other 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene

materials, such as proteins, fatty acids, resins and

inorganic materials (salts) are found in natural
rubber. Polyisoprene is also created synthetically,
producing what is sometimes referred to as cis-polyisoprene, the main
RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES
"synthetic natural rubber". constituent of natural rubber
 Vulcanization 5
• Vulcanization is a chemical process in which individual polymer molecules are linked to other polymer
molecules by atomic bridges. The end result is that the springy rubber molecules become locked together to a
greater or lesser extent. This makes the bulk material harder, much more durable and also more resistant to
chemical attack . It also transforms the surface of the material from a sticky feel to a smooth, soft surface which
does not adhere to metal or plastic substrates

RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES

Conditions of vulcanization 6

1. Temperatures of about 140°–180° C are employed

2. Sulphur is added and accelerators, carbon black or zinc oxide is usually added, not
merely as an extender, but to improve further the qualities of the rubber.
3. Anti-oxidants are also commonly included to retard deterioration caused by oxygen and
ozone.
4. Heating is carried out using steam and under pressure.

RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES

 Properties of Natural Rubber 7
1. Crude rubber is a tough and an elastic solid. It becomes soft and
sticky as the temperature rises. Its specific gravity is 0.915.
2. The most important property of natural rubber is its elasticity.
When stretched, it expands and attains its original state, when
released. This is due to its coil-like structure. The molecules
straighten out when stretched and when released, they coil up
again. Therefore applying a stress can easily deform rubber. Note
that when this stress is removed, it retains its original shape.
3. Raw natural rubber has elasticity over a narrow range of
temperature from 10 to 60 degrees centigrade. Because of this,
articles made of raw natural rubber don't work well in hot weather.
RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES
Continued Properties of Natural Rubber 8

5. Raw natural rubber has low tensile strength and low abrasion resistant.
6. It absorbs large quantities of water.
7. It is insoluble in water, alcohol, acetone, dilute acids and alkalis.
8. It is soluble in ether, carbon disulphide, carbon tetrachloride, petrol
and turpentine.
9. Pure rubber is a transparent, amorphous solid, which on stretching or
prolonged cooling becomes crystalline
RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES
Additional Characteristics of butyl rubber
9
• high impermeability to gases
• excellent aging stability
• very good heat resistance
• good damping properties
• excellent weather and ozone resistance
• good chemical resistance
• Benefits:
• good adhesion to other types of rubber
• fast cure rate requiring lower amounts of vulcanizing agents
• good electrical insulation properties
RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES
Difference Between Rubbers And Plastics 10

• Vulcanization is an irreversible process, like baking a cake, and

must be contrasted strongly with thermoplastic processes which
characterize the behavior of the vast majority of modern
polymers.
• This irreversible cure reaction defines cured rubber compounds
as thermoset materials, which do not melt on heating, and
places them outside the class of thermoplastic materials (like
polyethylene and polypropylene). This is a fundamental
difference between rubbers and plastics, and sets the
conditions for their applications in the real world, their costs,
RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES
and the economics of their supply and demand.
Cure sites – role of sulphur 11
• Along the rubber molecule, there are a number of sites which are attractive
to sulfur atoms. These are called cure sites. At each cure site on the rubber
molecule, a sulfur atom can attach itself, and from there, a sulfur chain can
grow, until it eventually reaches a cure site on another rubber molecule.
These sulfur bridges are typically between 2 and 10 atoms long
• Vulcanization improves:
1. Higher tensile strength
2. Resistance to swelling and abrasion,
3. Elastic over a greater range of temperatures.

RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES

Butyl Rubber -Copolymer of 98% isobutene
– 2% isoprene or butadiene 12

Properties of butyl rubber:

Synthetic rubber/ elastomer
Low permeability to air, gases and moisture
Vibration damping
Low glass transition temperature
Low modulus of elastomer
Resistance to aging and weathering
RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES
Preparation of butyl rubber
Cationic Polymerization 13

• Initiator: 𝐴𝑙𝐶𝑙3
• Medium: methyl chloride and boiling liquid ethylene This is
to remove the heat of reaction (highly exothermic)
• Temperature : controlled at low temperature (-90 to -100)
this is to achieve high molecular weight butyl rubber
• What is a filler: Any material used at relatively low dosage
levels without significantly affecting physical properties

RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES

Field of application of butyl rubber 14

• inner liners of tubeless tires (cars, trucks, aircraft, motorcycles),

tire inner tubes .
• curing bladders in tire production
• car body mounts
• protective clothing and equipment
• sports balls and high-end shoe soles
• tank linings
• sealants
• electrical insulation
RUBBER Curing is the process of applying pressure to the green tire in a mold in order to give it its final shape-
ITS PROPERTIES
 Curing is the
process of
applying pressure
to the green tire
in a mold in order
to give it its final
shape

RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES

 Comparison between raw natural rubber and
vulcanized natural rubber
Raw Natural Rubber
Soft and sticky
Low tensile strength and not very strong
Low elasticity
Can be used over a narrow range of
temperature from 10 to 60 degrees
centigrade
Low abrasion resistance
Absorbs a large amount of water
Soluble in solvents like ether, carbon disu p
hide, carbon tetrachlo ride, petrol and
turpentine
RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES
Vulcanized Natural Rubber
Comparatively hard and non-sticky
High tensile strength and very strong
High elasticity
Can be used over a wide range of
temperature from -40 to 100 degrees
centigrade
High abrasion resistance
Absorbs a small amount of water
Insoluble in all the usual solvents
ELASTIC DEFORMATION
1. Initial 2. Small load 3. Unload 17
bonds
stretch

return to
initial

F

Elastic means reversible!

RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES

PLASTIC DEFORMATION (METALS)
1. Initial 2. Small load 3. Unload

Plastic means permanent!

linear linear
elastic elastic
RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES

plastic
 STRESS-STRAIN TESTING
• Typical tensile specimen • Typical tensile
test machine

Adapted from Fig. 6.2,

Callister 6e.

• Other types of tests:

--compression: brittle
materials (e.g., concrete)
RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES --torsion: cylindrical tubes,
shafts.
 PLASTIC (PERMANENT) DEFORMATION
(at lower temperatures, T < Tmelt/3)

• Simple tension test:

Elastic+Plastic
tensile stress, s at larger stress

Elastic
initially
permanent (plastic)
after load is removed

eέpP engineering strain, e

RUBBER - ITS PROPERTIES PLASTIC STRAIN