Processing

Rubber processing consists of four basic steps: (1) mastication, when the elastomer is sheared and the molecules are broken down to give easier flow, (2) mixing, usually carried out immediately after mastication, when additives are incorporated, (3) shaping of the viscous mass, for example, by extrusion or molding, and (4) curing, when the polymer molecules become interlinked and the shape is fixed.

Mastication

The Banbury mixer, used for mixing polymers and additives in the manufacture of plastic and rubber.

Mastication and softening are usually carried out in batches. The operation is done either in large enclosed mixing machines or on rubber mills. The preeminent example of an enclosed machine is the Banbury (registered trademark) mixer, consisting of heavy steel counterrotating paddles in an hourglass-shaped chamber, holding up to one-half ton of rubber. Rubber mills have two large horizontally opposed, closely spaced steel cylinders, up to 3 metres (10 feet) long, that are rotated slowly in opposite directions and at somewhat different speeds. Rubber is sheared and softened in the gap between the paddles and wall of the Banbury mixer and in the gap between the two cylinders in the roll mill.

Mixing

Mixing is carried out on machines similar to those used in mastication, sometimes immediately after softening. Reactive materials, fillers, oils, and protective chemicals of various kinds, as described above, are incorporated into the base elastomer by a combined shearing and mixing action. An enclosed Banbury-type mixer can produce up to one-half ton of mixed compound in a few minutes. The compound is then sheeted out, coated with a release soap to prevent sticking, and stored until use on steel pallets that can hold up to one ton of rubber.

Shaping

Shaping of the mixture into the desired form takes place in several ways. Extruders are used to produce long continuous products such as tubing, tire treads, and wire coverings. They are also used to produce various profiles that can later be cut to length. Multiroll calenders are used to make wide sheeting. In transfer and injection molds, the rubber mix is forced through channels into a mold chamber of the required shape, where it is cured under pressure. Tires are made of several components: bead wire, sidewall compound, inner liner, cord plies, belt package, and tread; these are brought together and assembled as a complete tire before being transferred to the curing press.

Curing

Curing is carried out in pressurized steel molds, which are heated by steam or electricity to temperatures at which the interlinking reaction takes place. Typical cure conditions are several minutes at a temperature of 160 °C (320 °F). Because heat penetrates rubber slowly, thick articles must be allowed longer curing times, up to several hours, at lower temperatures. Pressures of 1 megapascal (145 pounds per square inch) or more are normally imposed in order to maintain the desired shape and to force trapped air to dissolve in the compound. Other methods of curing the rubber mix after it has been shaped include steam heating in autoclaves, microwave irradiation, and passage through a heated bath of molten metal salts or a fluidized bed. In these cases curing is carried out at near-atmospheric pressure.

Common Applications for Rubber Products

Rubber is a cornerstone material for most industries. It’s commonly seen in building construction materials, such as waterworks, conduit seals, and elastomeric bridge bearing parts.

Hospitals use substantial amounts of rubber for examination gloves, surgical tubing, catheters, and specialized prosthetics.

Even outside the industrial world, we find rubber just about anywhere in our day-to-day lives. Just think about some of the household goods you own, and chances are rubber is involved in some way.

For example, your bedroom may feature rubber in your clothing, shoes, bed mattress, cushions, and floor rugs.

Heading over to the kitchen, you’ll see plenty of rubber used in utensils, cookware, potholders, and jar seals, but you’ll also find rubber door/tub gaskets in your dishwasher and coffee maker.

Take a stroll to the backyard, and you’ll notice rubber in things like garden hoses, but it’s also a common component in yard mulches, synthetic turf, and decorative edging. Let’s not forget the pets – rubber is a primary ingredient for your pup’s chew toys, flea collars, brushes, and tennis balls.

Rubber is just about everywhere in modern society. In most cases, rubber products are compounded by specialists to give the product certain characteristics.

Car tires are compounded with carbon black and silica fillers to increase tear resistance, tire life, and traction. Industrial conveyor belts are made of vulcanized rubber to ensure heat resistance and durability. Even the latex in birthday party balloons is treated with coagulants, curing agents, accelerators, and oils before production.

Even for something as simple as a balloon or rubber gasket, rubber compounding relies on precise compound recipes. There’s no other way to ensure that the product will perform as it should.

We can thank the advent of modern rubber compounding techniques for letting us enjoy the wide variety of rubber products in use today. What’s more, rubber compounds and responsible rubber processing has led companies to be more ethical in their material sourcing, AirBoss included.