Alpha Technologies Studies Viscoelastic Properties and Mix Quality
May 2, 2023
Alpha Technologies has published a study about rubber process analyzers (RPAs), viscoelastic properties, and mix quality in a recent Technical Notebook for Rubber News. Authors John Dick and Richard Hanzlik compare the relative advantages of various viscoelastic properties that an RPA can measure. This article is the first in a two-part series by the authors.
Over the last three decades, RPAs have become the compounding industry’s testing instrument of choice for identifying issues that can result in downstream problems. Today, the rubber industry uses several different ASTM test methods with RPAs to measure mix quality. In this article, the authors share the results of a recent RPA laboratory study with specially mixed rubber compounds.
The article provides a comprehensive overview of ASTM processability tests and considers the incorporation and deagglomeration profiles of different fillers. It also contains the dispersion of N234 carbon black, whiting (ground limestone), precipitated hydrated silica without organosilane, and precipitated hydrated silica with TESTP. For each dispersion, ASTM D6204 Part B 100-percent strain test results are explained.
