INVESTIGATION OF HEMPSEED PROCESS OIL AS THE ALTERNATIVE IN NATURAL RUBBER COMPOUNDING PROCESS

Good selection of natural rubber compounds is substantial in rubber industry. Behavior of products based on natural rubber is determined by rubber blending components, especially nature of process oil and concentration of reinforcing fillers. Rubber process oil main purpose is to improve dispersibility of fillers and reduce the viscosity of the rubber compound, therefore enable better processing. Mineral oils are mostly used process oils in natural rubber compounding, but, due to their toxicity and new requirements for preservation of the environment, more and more well-known manufacturers have turned to the use of environmentally friendly process oils. In this study, influence of the hempseed oil as process oil on the products properties in natural rubber compounding was investigated. Properties of hempseed oil as process oil were experimentally determined or calculated. Blending of natural rubber was performed in a laboratory by internal batch mixer, at the constant temperature of 90°C and a rotor speed of 60 rpm. Main rubber properties such as hardness, tensile strength, elongation at break, modulus at 100 and 300% elongation, and rheological properties were determined. Also, voltage and amperage were experimentally measured for calculating power consumption during effective mixing phase in rubber blending.