Processing and Tensile Properties of Natural Rubber Filled with Calcium Carbonate or Silica in the Presences of Lauryl Alcohol

The processing and tensile properties of the compounds of natural rubber (NR) filled with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) or silica filler in the presence of lauryl alcohol have been investigated. The NR was filled with each of those fillers at a fixed concentration, i.e., 30 phr, and they were compounded with lauryl alcohol as a filler dispersant with varied concentrations on a laboratory mill by applying the semi-efficient vulcanization recipe. A typical oscillating disc rheometer (ODR) was utilized for the determination of processing properties. From the results, it was observed that CaCO3 or silica with lauryl alcohol had increased the rate coefficient of vulcanization (RV) of the filled NR compounds with a reduction in viscousness or minimal torsion. The results also showed that the lauryl alcohol additions have enhanced the tensile properties of obtained filled NR compounds. The greater the lauryl alcohol concentration, the greater the rate coefficient of vulcanization and tensile strength of both types of filled NR. The overall results have indicated that the lauryl alcohol performance in enhancements of processing and tensile properties was more pronounced on calcium carbonate than silica.