Natural Rubber/Fluoro Elastomer Blends: Effect of Third Component on Cure Characteristics, Morphology, Mechanical Properties, and Automotive Fuel Swelling

The natural rubber (NR) was mixed with fluoro elastomer (FKM), due to the difference of polarity in NR and FKM made this blend incompatible so the third component was used. NR/FKM blended with the blend ratio of 70/30 was prepared by using a two-roll mill and vulcanization in a compression mold at 180 ̊C using peroxide as a curative agent. Epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) or polyisoprene-graft-maleic acid monomethyl ester (PI-ME) was used as a third component. The curing characteristics, morphology, mechanical properties, and automotive fuel swelling were investigated. The results indicated that the scorch time and cure time of the blend rubbers were longer as adding ENR or PI-ME. Both mechanical properties and automotive fuel resistance of the blend rubbers were found to increase with adding ENR in rubber blend. Conversely for adding PI-ME, automotive fuel resistance of the blend rubbers was found to decrease progressively with increasing PI-ME content.