Effect of Rubber-Filler Interaction on Transport of Aromatic Liquids through High Density Polyethylene/Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer Rubber Blends

The sorption and transport of four aromatic hydrocarbons through dynamically vulcanized high density polyethylene/ethylene propylene diene terpolymer rubber blends filled with carbon black and that filled with silica at the same loading have been investigated in the temperature range of 28-58 degrees C by an equilibrium swelling technique. Blends loaded with high abrasion furnace (HAF) black and those with silica of same loading have been used. The silica-incorporated blends sorbed a higher amount of aromatic solvents compared with the HAF filled blends. This has been explained in terms of the differences in the interaction between the filler particles and the blend components. The swelling coefficient, diffusion coefficient, and molar mass between cross-links have been computed to complement the experimental observations.