PROPERTIES OF DYNAMIC THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMERS BASED ON POLYPROPYLENE AND BUTADIEN-NITRIL RUBBER

The study results of the influence of butadiene-nitrile rubber different grades concentration, cross-linking agent type and content on the physico-mechanical and thermo-deformation properties of polymer compositions based on polypropylene are presented. Mixing of the components was carried out on hot rollers in the melt mode at 170 degrees C. A preliminary study of rubber concentration affect on the properties of compositions based on polypropylene showed that the introduction of an elastomeric component leads to a regular decrease in the strength and elongation at break of the compositions. The results of investigation of the thermo-deformation properties of polymer compositions showed that at a rubber concentration of 30wt%, and higher on thermomechanical curves, the region of the high-elastic state characteristic of rubbers is noticeably distinguished. Taking into account that the rubber materials are obtained during the process of their vulcanization, it seemed interesting to crosslink materials with two types of vulcanizing agents - dicumyl peroxide and sulphur for obtaining comparable results. The concentration of dicumyl peroxide was varied between 0.5 - 2.0 wt%. It was found that the use of dicumyl peroxide in an amount of 1.0-2.0 wt% is accompanied by intense occurrence of crosslinking with the formation of an irreversible highly crosslinked structure in the polymer composition. Based on the evaluation of the melt flow index of the vulcanized compositions, it was found that at the concentration of dicumyl peroxide in an amount of 0.5 wt% they still retain the ability to flow. At concentrations above 0.5 wt% of dicumyl peroxide the polymer compositions completely lose the fluidity of the melt. It was found that with an increase in the sulphur concentration from 3.0 to 10 wt% the decrease in the melt flow index from 2.76 to 0.616 g/10 min is observed. It was found that the crosslinking process predominantly proceeds through double bonds of butadiene-nitrile rubber, thereby facilitating the production of dynamically vulcanized polymer materials with a unique combination of structure and properties. This was confirmed by the results of a study of the thermo-deformation characteristics of compositions, according to which a transition from the region of a high-elastic state to viscous-flow state is observed in all samples subjected to sulfur vulcanization. The results of the study make it possible to state that dynamic thermoplastic elastomers can be obtained only if the ratio of the components used in the polymer composition is correctly selected.