Studies on Mechanical and End-Use Properties of Natural Rubber Filled with Snail Shell Powder

Abstract

A series of natural rubber-snail shell powder vulcanizates were compounded on a two-roll mill, and moulded on a compression moulding machine. The mechanical and end-use properties of the natural rubber vulcanizates were investigated at snail shell powder contents, 0 to 20 pphr. The snail shell powder was characterized for filler properties and sieved to 0.075, and 0.30 μm particle sizes. Carbon black was used as the reference filler. Results showed that the tensile strength, modulus, elongation at break, and resilience of the rubber vulcanizates were not enhanced on addition of snail shell powder. The hardness of the rubber vulcanizes were marginally increased at high snail shell powder content. However, the specific gravity of the rubber vulcanizates showed increases with increase in snail shell powder content. At a filler content above 5 pphr, snail shell powder exhibited good flame retardant property in the vulcanizates. The swelling indices of snail shell powder (0.075 μm) filled natural rubber were generally good, and better than those of snail shell powder (0.30 μm) filled natural rubber. Carbon black was found to show more property improvement for the natural rubber vulcanizates when compared to snail shell powder. Although the mechanical properties of snail shell powder filled natural rubber vulcanizates were not good, there were improvements in the end-use properties, an indication that snail shell powder could still find utilization in the rubber industry where specific end-use property of a rubber product is required.