RPA: Linking Linear and Non Linear Rheological Measurements to Rubber Processing Solutions for Elastomeric Product Development

Several factors such as processing conditions, filler content, and polymer base all contribute to a compound formulation’s ability to pass or fail processing and performance criteria. Traditional rubber testing methods, such as Mooney viscometer and MDR curemeter testing, have been used for several decades to monitor the quality of mixed batches. However, as elastomeric product performance becomes more demanding and highly engineered materials are required to meet these demands, testing methodologies with greater sensitivity to differences in viscoelastic properties are essential.

Physical and structural properties of the raw polymer lots including molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, and the degree of long-chain branching are amongst the most influential parameters linked to changes in bulk compound behaviour. Rheological characterization utilizing the RPA provides a quick and easy method to obtain these properties, delivering a means to understand and develop polymer structure and bulk property relationships. These methods can provide production engineers and compounders with invaluable, predictive information regarding the processibility of raw polymers and elastomeric compounds, which can be used to expedite and efficiently develop solutions to processing problems. This talk provides insights into advanced rheological measurements both in the linear viscoelastic, small-strain regime and in the nonlinear, high-strain regime and how to correlate these measurements to polymer chain architecture for elastomeric products.