Effect of Bulk and Surface Properties on Adhesion of Rubbers

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of bulk and surface properties of rubbers on both their adhesive properties as rubber/glass contact and their self-adhesive properties as rubber/rubber contact. A natural rubber (NR) was prepared from Hevea latex. Blends of immiscible rubbers, i.e. synthetic polyisoprene rubber (IR) and hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) were prepared by means of an internal mixer. All rubbers were crosslinked by electron beam irradiation at different doses. Two experimental devices are specially devoted to measure the level of adhesion and self-adhesion. First, by impact of a pendulum at very short contact times in milliseconds and second, by contact of a probe for longer contact times in hours. It appears that adhesion and self-adhesion of all the rubbers increase with contact time. Molecular dynamic of the interdiffusion of macromolecular chains is particularly analyzed in the case of crosslinked rubbers. Moreover, the adhesion energy concerning
rubber blends of IR and HNBR increases gradually with IR content for a given contact time.