Natural Amorphous Silica (Finely Ground Pumice) As an "Enhancer" for Carbon Black Dispersion in EPDM Formulations

The presence of natural amorphous silica (finely ground pumice) with carbon black in various EPDM formulations was studied for potential “enhancing” effects of the carbon black dispersion from aggregate to individual particles.  The EPDM formulations were studied in a designed experiment matrix that evaluated pumice loading level, pumice particle size, & mixing time.   The pumice was added “in addition to” the carbon black.  Physical properties and dynamic properties were evaluated for an overall performance enhancement effect.  An optimization case study was performed to demonstrate the usefulness of combining physical properties, dynamic properties and business objectives to determine a best overall scenario for a given application.