Effect of latex reclaim on physico-mechanical and thermal properties of carbon black filled natural rubber/butadiene rubber composite

As a material having high rubber content, latex reclaim (white reclaim) has been used in the production of premium grade rubber products like tyres, retreading materials, etc. Introduction of latex reclaim (LR) is also an ideal method to reduce the cost of rubber products. In the present work, natural rubber (NR), butadiene rubber (BR), and latex reclaim (LR) combinations were prepared to develop cost efficient tread materials. LR was mixed with NR/BR at various proportions to produce tread materials which will comply with national specifications. The blends were prepared and the cure and mechanical properties were investigated. Results have indicated that the scorch time and cure time had decreased with the increase of reclaim loading. The mechanical properties like tensile strength, tear strength, abrasion resistance decrease with the increase in the LR content. It was found that 70–80% of the mechanical properties were retained even after addition of 30 phr of LR. The thermal behaviour and activation energy of NR/BR/LR system was investigated using thermogravimetry TGA analysis and increased activation energy showed that the thermal stability has increased when the amount of LR is high. SEM studies had indicated the morphology change due to the viscosity mismatch between NR and BR especially in the presence of LR.