Rubber–rubber blends: A critical review

The blending of different rubbers is one of the effective methods to achieve required performance properties in their final products. This article reviews the thermodynamic considerations of rubber–rubber blends and their filled systems. Factors affecting the rubber blend morphology (i.e. distribution mechanism of fillers, curatives and other compounding ingredients) and preparation techniques for rubber–rubber blends emphasizing their advantages and disadvantages are well discussed in this review. Microscopy is the field of interest to all material scientists. In the case of rubber blends, microscopy is an essential tool in order to understand the morphology, that is, size, shape and distribution of phases and filler particles in the rubber–rubber blend. In this review, selected scientific reports based on optical microscopy, electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy in rubber–rubber blends are discussed. Rubber material is a complex macromolecule; it has significant proportion of fillers, processing aids and curing agents; therefore, only a very few studies have been reported on the microscopic aspects of filled rubber–rubber blends. In particular, influence of rubber blend composition, fillers (micro and nano length scales) and processing additives on the morphology of rubber blends systems has not been systematically reviewed and discussed in the scientific literature. Therefore, in the present scenario, this review was thought of, which deals with the essential background to rubber–rubber blends, miscibility and morphological characterization of various rubber blend systems by microscopy. It is very important to add that although there is scattered information on these aspects in the scientific literature, to date a comprehensive review has not been published. The pros, cons, artefacts and the new challenges on the use of microscopy for the characterization of rubber–rubber blends are also discussed here.