Abstract
Dynamically vulcanized virgin poly(vinylchloride)/recycled poly(vinylchloride)/acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (PVCv/PVCr/NBR) blends were prepared in a Haake Rheomix Polydrive R600/610 mixer, coupled with a mixing attachment, by melt mixing. The blends were prepared at 150°C and a rotor speed of 50 rpm. A blend ratio of PVCv to PVCr to rubber was fixed at 30:30:40 (wt%). The curative concentration was steadily increased from 0 to 0.8 phr in order to study the vulcanization effect on the blends. The properties of PVCv/PVCr/NBR blends investigated included mixing torque, stabilization torque, mechanical energy of processing, mechanical properties, swelling behaviour, and morphological characteristics. Results show that the peak stress, mixing torque, stabilization torque, mechanical energy, and swelling resistance in toluene all increased with increasing sulphur concentration, but elongation at break (Eb) exhibited the opposite trend. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination of the tensile fracture surfaces of PVCv/PVCr/NBR blends indicates that a higher energy is needed to cause catastrophic failure as the sulphur concentration increases.
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