Low-Temperature Behavior of Butadiene-Styrene Copolymers. Effect of Compounding Variables
Abstract Synthetic rubbers and natural rubber increase in stiffness at low temperatures and tend to lose their elastic characteristics. This stiffening and hardening phenomenon occurs in varying degrees with various elastomers. Natural rubber and certain synthetic rubbers crystallize during extended exposure at low temperature, whereas other synthetic rubbers such as GR-S remain amorphous. In a general review of the low temperature properties of synthetic rubber, Liska has shown that decreased styrene in butadiene-styrene copolymers improves the flexibility at low temperature. The low temperature flexibility of vulcanized articles made from any particular rubber or synthetic rubber is influenced by the compounding ingredients admixed with the elastomer. This paper shows the results of some studies of the effect of these compounding ingredients on the low temperature serviceability of butadiene-styrene copolymers. Somewhat similar work on the effect of a large number of plasticizers in GR-S has been conducted at the Rubber Laboratory, Mare Island Naval Shipyard, with particular emphasis on compression set at low temperature.