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Updated: Jun 10, 2025

The Preparation and Properties of Thermo-reversibly Cross-linked Rubber Via Diels-Alder Chemistry
Published on: August 25, 2016
Effect of Butadiene Rubber Crystallization on Low-Temperature Properties of Butadiene/Silicone Rubber Blends with
Norbert Nizel1, Dariusz M Bieliński1, Andrzej Pawlak2
1Institute of Polymer and Dye Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Stefanowskiego 16, 90-537 Lodz, Poland.
Abstract:
This study explores the impact of butadiene rubber (BR) crystallization on the low-temperature properties of butadiene/silicone (VMQ) rubber blends (BR/VMQ) designed for Martian applications. Two types of BR, semi-crystalline high-cis Buna CB24 and amorphous Buna CB550, were blended with VMQ, and their mechanical and thermal properties were evaluated. Kinetics of vulcanization, static mechanical properties, dynamical mechanical analysis, thermal shrinkage, and differential scanning calorimetry were utilized. The research demonstrates that the semi-crystalline BR improves mechanical properties but induces greater shrinkage at low temperatures. Conversely, using amorphous BR provided more consistent mechanical properties across the Martian temperature range and reduced material shrink by 6.71% for samples with carbon black, by 8.36% for samples with silica, and by 11.63% for unfilled samples. Future research will be required to evaluate the impact of volume change on the sealing properties of the BR/VMQ blends.
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