Abstract

Reinforcement of elastomers with fillers has generally been measured by physical properties, such as tension stress-strain, tear resistance, hardness, and compression modulus. To a more limited extent, swelling in solvents has been recognized as associated with reinforcement. In natural-rubber vulcanizates it has been demonstrated that reinforcing fillers impart greater resistance to solvents and oils than do nonreinforcing types. Addition of the latter gives only the reduction in swelling attributable to elastomer dilution. In the case of Neoprene vulcanizates, Catton and Fraser reported that fillers function only as elastomer diluents and that those fillers commonly considered as of the reinforcing type impart no greater resistance to solvents than the nonreinforcing type. More recently, however, Buist and Mottram, in describing the effects of carbon blacks on the physical properties of natural rubber and Neoprene, reported that with both of these elastomers compounds containing thermal type carbon black gave slightly greater swelling in benzene than compounds containing equal loadings of other types of carbon black. With Neoprene, they reported good correlation between moduli and swelling characteristics.