Hallstar has developed a new line of polymeric plasticizers for fluoroelastomer (FKM) compounds, a class of high-performance materials that are challenging to plasticize because of their fluorinated backbones. Plasthall® P-920 and its dry version, Suprmix® Plasthall® P-20, act as processing aids and reduce viscosity with minimal impact on tensile properties. They enhance extrusion efficiency by lowering Mooney viscosity, which reduces torque and energy consumption.
Alpha Technologies has published a study about rubber process analyzers (RPA), 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.