Rubber Compounding - Materials Research

Rubber compound formulations have been developed for many technically demanding applications using both natural rubber and a wide range of synthetic rubbers. Knowledge of the relationship between rubber type, other compound ingredients and engineering performance is used to meet requirements. Typical examples include the development of recipes for:

LTC (low temperature cure)
Compounds for low temperature processing (e.g. 40°C) and cure (e.g. 70°C). Benefits include: energy saving, reduced mould shrinkage, increased production rate, use of cheaper (lower melting point) fibre reinforcement e.g. polypropylene textiles.

BPSCE (biphasic single component elastomers)
Compounds with high tear resistance and resistance to “explosive decompression” fracturing in high pressure gas environments e.g. for seals used by the oil & gas industry and other applications requiring high performance under extreme mechanical and fluid environments.