The research and development of high-performance polymer materials with excellent gas barrier properties has gained considerable attention from the viewpoint of expanding their applications in various fields, including tire automobile parts and the polymer film industry. Natural rubber (NR) has been widely used as a rubber material in real-life, but its application is limited owing to its poor gas barrier properties. In this paper, we study the gas barrier properties of NR, epoxidized natural rubber (ENR), and their blend compositions by using molecular simulation. The results show that ENR-50 has superior oxygen barrier properties than those of NR. Moreover, the oxygen barrier properties of a blend of NR/ENR-50 improve with increasing volume fraction of ENR-50. The trend of improved oxygen barrier properties of NR, ENR-50, and their blend is in good agreement with experimental observations.

To improve the mechanical properties of glass-fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites through interfacial adhesion control between the PP matrix and glass fiber, the surface of the glass fiber was modified with PP-graft-maleic anhydride (MAPP). Surface modification of the glass fiber was carried out through the well-known hydrolysis-condensation reaction using 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane, and then subsequently treated with MAPP to produce the desired MAPP-anchored glass fiber (MAPP-a-GF). The glass-fiber-reinforced PP composites were prepared by typical melt-mixing technique. The effect of chemical modification of the glass fiber surface on the mechanical properties of composites was investigated. The resulting mechanical and morphological properties showed improved interfacial adhesion between the MAPP-a-GF and PP matrix in the composites.

Rubber articles contain various organic additives such as antidegradants, curing agents, and processing aids. It is important to extract and analyze these organic additives. In this paper, various extraction methods of organic additives present in rubber composites were introduced (solvent extraction, Soxhlet extraction, headspace extraction, and solid-phase microextraction), and the extracts were characterized using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Solvent and Soxhlet extractions are easy-to-perform and commonly used methods. Efficiency of solvent extraction varies according to the type of solvent used and the extraction conditions. Soxhlet extraction requires a large volume of solvent. Headspace sampling is suitable for extracting volatile organic compounds, while solid-phase extraction is suitable for extracting specific chemicals. GC/MS is generally used for characterizing the extract of a rubber composite because most components of the extract are volatile and have low molecular weights. Identification methods of chemical structures of the components separated by GC column were also introduced.

Superabsorbent hydrogel (SAH) is a lightly crosslinked hydrophilic functional polymer material comprising a flexible chain structure, which can absorb and retain high amounts of water or aqueous fluids even under high pressure. Therefore, it is important to improve their characteristics such as absorption performance, residual monomer content, and water permeability. SAH nanocomposites were prepared using clay mineral as an inorganic filler and the influence of posttreatment processes such as quenching and aging process on their properties was studied. In addition, surface-crosslinking process was applied to improve the absorption performance associated with mechanical properties and water permeability. The structure of the SAH was characterized using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscopy.

It is important to analyze crosslink densities of rubber articles because the physical properties are dependent on the crosslink densities. In this paper, analytical techniques for the measurement of crosslink densities of rubber vulcanizates are described. The most widely used method to measure the crosslink density is a swelling method combined with the Flory-Rehner equation. Application of the interaction parameter (χ) of rubber and swelling solvent is critical because the crosslink density is absolutely dependent on the χ value. Methods for obtaining χ employ not only solubility parameters of the polymer and swelling solvent but also inverse gas chromatography (IGC). The solubilities of rubbers can be obtained using micro differential scanning calorimetry (μDSC), intrinsic viscosity measurement, and UV-visible spectroscopy. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has been also used for the measurement of the crosslink density using the T2 relaxation time, which is determined by spin-spin relaxation in solid-state NMR. For sulfur-cured rubber vulcanizates, crosslink densities according to the crosslink types of mono-, di-, and polysulfides are measured by treating the rubber samples with a chemical probe composed of thiol and amine compounds. Measurement methods of physical crosslinking by filler, crystallization, and ionic bonding have also been introduced.

Herein, three polymer compounds were manufactured using three polymer combination methods, ethylene-vinyl acetate/ethylene-propylene-diene-copolymer (EPDM), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)/polyethylene-A (PE-A; density: 0.870), and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)/polyethylene-B (PE-B; density: 0.885), for making cable sheath for use in the shipping industry. In this study, EVA, EPDM, PE-A, and PE-B were used as matrix polymers, and EVA-grafted maleic anhydride was used as a coupling agent for compounding with various compounds such as a fire retardant, cross-linking agent, filler, and other additives, besides the plasticizer. ΔT, Mooney viscosity, and tensile strength increased in order of EPDM < PEA < PE-B, the probable reason is due to the different crosslinking effect. The three compounds showed similar results for fire resistance and aging resistance after compounding process, but they showed excellent cold resistance owing to the non-polarity of the polymers and sufficient plasticizer content.

Bio-based polyester polyol was synthesized via esterification between azelaic acid and isosorbide. After esterification, bio-based polyurethanes were synthesized using polyester polyol, 1,3-propanediol as the chain extender, and 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, in mixing ratios of 1:1:1.5, 1:1:1.8, 1:1:2, and 1:1:2.3. The bio TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) samples were characterized by using FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), TGA (Thermal Gravimetric Analysis), DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry), and GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography). The mechanical properties (tensile stress and hardness) were obtained by using UTM, a Shore A tester, and a Taber abrasion tester. The viscoelastic properties were tested by an Rubber Processing Analyzer in dynamic strain sweep and dynamic frequency test modes. The chemical resistance was tested with methanol by using the swelling test method. Based on these results, the bio TPU synthesized with the ratio of 1:1:2.3, referred to as TPU 4, showed the highest thermal decomposition temperature, the largest molecular weight, and most compact matrix structure due to the highest ratio of the hard segment in the molecular structure. It also presented the highest tensile strength, the largest elongation, and the best viscoelastic properties among the different bio TPUs synthesized herein.

A superabsorbent hydrogel (SAH) can absorb and retain water weighing more than a hundred times of their dry weight because of their three-dimensional hydrophilic structure. To fabricate an SAH, itaconic acid (IA) and vinyl sulfonic acid (VSA) were subjected to radical polymerization in an aqueous solution, wherein IA and VSA were neutralized, and then, a crosslinker and a thermal initiator were added in sequence. The structure of poly(IA-co-VSA) was characterized using attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. We also studied the changes in the absorption properties of the SAH composites according to the polymerization temperature, degree of neutralization, type and content of the initiator used, and type and content of the crosslinker used. Thus, we could determine the effects of some synthetic factors on the absorption properties of the SAH.

Carbon master batch (CMB) rubber sheets, which are stored in stacks, are difficult to separate during reuse because of the adhesion between sheets caused by the stacked weight over time. To solve this problem, in the actual rubber product manufacturing process, various anti-tacking agents (solid powder or liquid surfactants) are applied to the sheet surface. In this study, the emulsion samples of zinc (Zn)-stearate/triethanolamine (TEA)-stearate mixtures were prepared using TEA-stearate as a surfactant, prepared using an industrially manufactured Zn-stearate powder, and their basic anti-tacking properties were studied. During the process of manufacturing emulsion, a heat treatment process and an auxiliary surfactant were introduced to improve the dispersion stability. Results showed that the heat-treated sample exhibited a significant improvement in terms of sedimentation, storage stability, and anti-tacking characteristics since the Zn-stearate particles were reduced to a smaller size by the heat-treatment than that of the original Zn-stearate powder.

Two different urethane acrylates (mono-acrylate and di-acrylate) were used to prepare unsaturated polyester-based hybrid gel-coats. The physical properties and surface characteristics of these gel-coats were investigated on the basis of the content and type of urethane acrylate. The set-to-touch time increased and the physical properties (surface hardness and tensile strength) decreased with an increase in the urethane acrylate content. However, the type of urethane acrylate did not affect these parameters. It was found that the optimal urethane acrylate content for the application of unsaturated polyester-based hybrid gel-coats is ~10 wt%.