Dynamic Mechanical Behavior of Natural Rubber/Waste Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Rubber Blends

This article studies the viscoelastic behavior of the blends based on natural rubber (NR) and waste ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (W-EPDM). The respective results were also compared with the blends containing virgin ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (W-EPDM). Amongst the blends, storage modulus (E') of NR/W-EPDM blends was superior to NR/EPDM blends. This is due to the fact that W-EPDM consists of crosslinking precursor together with the carbon black remained in W-EPDM itself. The finding can be testified by the increment of degree of entanglement (N) and crosslink density when the loading ratio of W-EPDM was increased. Correlation between dynamic responses and crosslinking was also elucidated to justify the results obtained from the storage modulus and degree of entanglement. It proves that the crosslink density is clearly corresponded to the storage modulus and degree of entanglement.