Reinforcing Materials in Rubber Products
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REINFORCING MATERIALS IN RUBBER PRODUCTS NOKIAN TYRES PLC [Compound Development and Applications George Burrowes, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Lincoln , Nebraska , U.S.A. Brendan Rodgers, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, U.S.A.] Summary As described in the other modules of the VERT learning program, many elastomer types are too weak to be used without some reinforcing system. This means that most practical rubber products like tyres, hoses and different kinds of belts include the concept of reinforcing the elastomer matrix with some reinforcing agent. There are two main possible reinforcing principles: either the elastomer matrix is compounded with reinforcing fillers or the product is provided with some fibre consisting components applied in the product assembly phases. The primary function of reinforcing filler is to improve the mechanical properties of the rubber compound, whereas the fibre based components have the extra purpose to give adequate functional properties to the product. In both cases it is crucially important, that the additional components of rubber compound and the product are well bonded to the elastomer segments of the matrix. In this module of the Virtual Education for Rubber Technology (VERT) we tend to provide a general background and awareness of reinforcing fibres, and to give the rubber technologists an improved basic understanding of the uses, processes and potential problems associated with the use of fibre components in rubber products. The VERT module “The raw materials and compounds” handles the fundamentals of the topics of reinforcing additives and fillers. The first part of this module covers the definitions and classification of the most common used textile fibres for example cotton, rayon, polyamide, polyester and aromatic polyamides. It includes as well the basic technologies of the processes like twisting, texturing, weaving, sizing and rubber/textile composite assembling by calendering or coating. In the context of the properties of reinforcing fibres, particular attention is given to the aspects of adhesion, heat setting, adhesive treatments and processing and the assessment of adhesion. The first part also presents different kinds of test methods, which are used in textile cord testing. In the second part, the basic technologies of steel based fibres, steel cords, bead wires and the processes like calendering, extruding, cutting and splicing, which are used in preparing these components are handled. Again, attention is directed to the aspects of adhesion, to illustrate how the optimum reinforcement and performance for a particular application. Just like in the first part the in this part also different kinds of test methods for steel wire and cord testing are introduced. The third part of this module sheds light to the principles of applying fibre reinforcement techniques in different rubber products. Short descriptions are presented on the use of reinforcing fibres and components in the tyre products as well as in industrial and consumer rubber good applications like belts, hoses and miscellaneous applications of reinforced rubber including inflatable and non- inflated structures. 2 Table of contents Summary.................................................................................................................... 2 Table of contents........................................................................................................ 3 Introduction................................................................................................................ 6 History and background of rubber reinforcement...................................................... 6 Definitions ................................................................................................................. 8 Direction of lay ...................................................................................................... 9 I . TEXTILE REINFORCEMENT .......................................................................... 11 1. Production and properties of textile yarns ........................................................... 11 1.1 Production methods of textile fibres.............................................................. 11 1.1.1 Cotton...................................................................................................... 11 1.1.2 Rayon ...................................................................................................... 12 1.1.3 Polyamides (PA, Nylon)........................................................................ 15 1.1.4 Polyester (PET)....................................................................................... 19 1.1.5 Aromatic Polyamides: Aramids.............................................................. 23 1.1.6 Physical properties of textile fibres........................................................ 25 2. Yarn and Cord Processing ................................................................................... 27 2.1 Yarn Preparation ............................................................................................ 27 2.1.1 Twisting .................................................................................................. 28 2.1.2 Texturing................................................................................................. 31 2.1.3 Weaving and sizing................................................................................. 31 3. Rubber/textile composite assembly (Fabrication) ............................................... 34 3.1 Calendering.................................................................................................... 35 3.2 Coating........................................................................................................... 37 4. Heat-Setting and Adhesive Treatments ............................................................... 37 4.1 Heat-setting machinery .................................................................................. 38 4.2 Heat-setting.................................................................................................... 40 4.3 Adhesive treatment ........................................................................................ 41 4.4 The in situ bonding system............................................................................ 45 5. Textile cord testing .............................................................................................. 46 5.1 Determination of twist ................................................................................... 46 5.2 Determination of thickness ............................................................................ 46 5.3 Determination of linear density ..................................................................... 47 5.4. Determination of amount of dip.................................................................... 47 5.5 Determination of tensile properties................................................................ 48 5.6 Determination of boiling water shrinkage ..................................................... 49 5.7 Determination of hot air shrinkage ................................................................ 49 5.8 Determination of drawing properties of POY................................................ 50 5.9 Determination of stiffness.............................................................................. 50 5.10 Determination of adhesion (H-test) ............................................................. 51 5.11 Determination of strip adhesion of single textile cord................................. 51 5.12 Determination of strip adhesion of rubberised textile cord ......................... 52 3 II STEEL REINFORCEMENT ............................................................................... 54 1. Steel Cord ............................................................................................................ 54 1.1 Definition ....................................................................................................... 54 1.2 Cord components ........................................................................................... 54 1.3 Nomenclature system..................................................................................... 55 1.3.1 Structure.................................................................................................. 55 1.3.2 Length and direction of lay..................................................................... 56 1.3.3 Product types........................................................................................... 56 1.4 Steel cord manufacturing process.................................................................. 58 2. Bead Wire ............................................................................................................ 60 2.1 Definitions ..................................................................................................... 60 2.2 General characteristics of bead wire.............................................................. 62 2.3 Manufacturing process................................................................................... 63 2.4 General properties of beadwires .................................................................... 64 3. Steel belt processing ............................................................................................ 64 3.1 Calendering process......................................................................................