Cancarb Technical Bulletin Examines EPDM Mixing and Dispersion
November 11, 2024
Cancarb Limited has published a Technical Bulletin that shows how formulating EPDM rubber with Thermax® N990 improves compound dispersion, decreases mixing energy, reduces compound viscosity, and supports potential cost reductions. Thermax® N990 is a medium thermal carbon black that imparts low modulus.
The study compared 11 ingredients, including Thermax® N990 as a partial replacement for N550 at a ratio of 2.3:1 to maintain a compound hardness of 55 durometer (Shore A). Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, Inc. (ARDL) performed the compounding and testing for Cancarb at its facility in Barberton, Ohio.
Tests and Test Results
For each of the 11 ingredients, the following tests were performed on all EPDM compounds:
- Dispersion
- Moving die rheometer (MDR)
- Shore A hardness
- Tensile strength
- Volume resistivity
The study contains 14 tables that report these and other conclusions about N550:
- Dispersion increased as loading increased.
- Minimum torque, as measured by MDR, was lower for compounds with greater loading.
- Tensile strength and mixing energy decreased as loading increased.
There were no significant differences in Shore A hardness or volume resistivity values among the EPDM compounds.
Additional Information
To receive the full Technical Bulletin in PDF format, visit this page on Cancarb’s website, choose the Request Access button, and complete the online form.
RDAbbott represents Cancarb products in the United States and Canada and is the exclusive distributor for Thermax® brand medium thermal carbon black in Mexico. For more information about these functional fillers, contact RDAbbott today.
