ScienceAsia 24 (1998): 251-264 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.1998.24.251

MORPHOLOGY AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF COMPATIBILISED POLYPROPYLENE/VULCANISED RUBBER BLENDS

T. LAOSEE^a, P. PHINYOCHEEP^a AND F .H. AXTELL^b

ABSTRACT: Blends of polypropylene with vulcanised rubber obtained from the buffing process in sports shoe sole manufacture has been investigated. Two types of vulcanised rubber were used, midsole (M, vulcanised EVA foam) and outsole (O, vulcanised rubber blend of NR, SBR and BR). Styrene-ethylene-buthylene-styrene (SEBS) and maleic anhydride grafted styrene-ethylene-buthylene-styrene (SEBS-g-MA) were used as compatibilisers. It was observed that both SEBS and SEBS-g-MA enhanced the impact strength of the blends. The morphology of the blend observed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy showed the reduction of rubber dust into small rubber particle size of the compound with addition of SEBS and SEBS-g-MA up to 10 phr.

Download PDF

a Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd, Payathai, Bangkok 10400 Thailand.
b Drycolor Pacific Limited, Rama III Road, Yannawa, Bangkok 10120 Thailand.

Received October 25, 1998