Mechanical Properties Improvement in Silica-Filled Natural Rubber Composites Using Stearyl Alcohol

Abstract

Mechanical properties improvement in silica-filled natural rubber (NR) composites through the use of stearyl alcohol (SA) was carried out. The SA was palm kernel oil based fatty alcohol. The NR was filled by precipitated silica at a certain concentration (thirty parts per hundred rubbers, phr). The SA-fatty alcohol was added into composites from 1.0 to 4.0 phr. Due to its functions as a curative additive and internal plasticiser; the SA improved torque difference, crosslink density and also tensile strength up to a 2.0 phr of addition. Morphology study proved that a 2.0 phr of SA was the optimum addition where a fractured surface image of silica-filled NR composite with 2.0 phr of SA exhibited the greatest surface roughness and matrix tearing lines.