Increase softness in natural rubber 1

[cm_lee]

Dear all,

I would like to ask is there any ways to increase the softness in natural rubber by not affecting the physical properties of the final product? As we know, natural rubber is a soft and flexible polymer but the softness is decreased with increased of product's thickness. We have tried using several types of oil to increase the softness, however the softness was not increased but the physical properties was dropped drastically.

Please advise.

 

[GrahamBennett]

What exactly do you mean by "softness"?

According to most international standards - ISO, ASTM, etc - the hardness of a rubber compound is determined using a 6mm thick button of cured compound. It doesn't matter how thick the final products are, the product specification will state a hardness value according to a given standard.

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[btrueblood]

"increase the softness in natural rubber by not affecting the physical properties of the final product"

Translation: I want to change the physical properties of natural rubber without changing the physical properties of the rubber.

Sorry, this is an engineering site. For magic, try the Hogwarts school.

 

[tom1953]

Depending on the formulation, you might be able to reduce the filler a little, which would have the same harness effect of increasing oil, and the less loading (i.e., higher polymer content) may not give a decrease in strength properties.
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