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pps proceeding
Symposium: S08 - Rubbers and Elestomers
Oral Presentation
 
 

Rubber Products Innovation through Understanding of Processing-Structure-Property Relationship of Rubbers and their Composites

Bhowmick Anil K (1)*

(1) The University of Houston - Texas - USA

The lecture would highlight development and innovation of a series of rubber products through understanding of processing-property relationship of various rubbers, and their composites. Formulation, compounding, and processing of track pads and the rubberised road wheels for Military Battle Tanks were developed using these relationships. The pads gave three times more life than expected from such rubber pads. These are in regular use by the Indian Defence. We developed compositions, processing techniques and technology for energy optimized conveyor belt compound for the first time in the world, which consumes much lower energy than the conventional belt during operation. Ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM) and Chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) based cables are the first electron beam cured products developed by us from India, which have better properties and faster processing and have been marketed by a company. We have also developed indigenously rubber rolls for Cold Rolling Mills (CRM) for one of the largest steel companies in the world, which are covered by many patents. 100-600% improvement in service life in different lines of CRM was achieved. A series of novel polymer based nanocomposites have been developed and their structure, processing and properties have been elucidated. The applications on the basis of these studies have been made in tyre, where the developed nanocomposite gives better wet traction, wear resistance and rolling resistance, and in non-tyre sector, where the designed and patented nanocomposites impart higher mechanical properties and heat resistance. The pioneering researches from my group are the developments of high temperature thermoplastic elastomers from polymer blends and sustainable elastomers. There are other important innovations from my laboratory, which would be briefly highlighted.