Uptake of Automobile Fluids by Dynamically Vulcanized Recycled Polyethylene/natural Rubber (rPE/NR) Biocomposites

C. M. Ewulonu^1, , I. C. Chukwujike¹ and U. J. Timothy¹

¹Department of Polymer and Textile Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, P. M. B. 5025, Awka, Nigeria

Cite this paper:
C. M. Ewulonu, I. C. Chukwujike and U. J. Timothy. Uptake of Automobile Fluids by Dynamically Vulcanized Recycled Polyethylene/natural Rubber (rPE/NR) Biocomposites. Journal of Polymer and Biopolymer Physics Chemistry. 2015; 3(1):19-27. doi: 10.12691/jpbpc-3-1-4

Abstract

This study presents long term sorption properties of automobile fluids – premium motor spirit (PMS) and automotive gas oil (AGO) in dynamically vulcanized recycled polyethylene/natural rubber (rPE/NR) thermoplastic elastomer biocomposites. The effect of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) filler and maleic anhydride graft polyethylene (MAPE) as compartibilizer on the rPE/NR blends were also studied. The automobile fluids uptake trend was observed to reducewith OPEFB incorporation. Uptake of the automobile fluids by the biocompositesincreased rapidlywithin the first 24 hours and subsequently increased gradually within the 7 days period studied.The analysed results also showed that both the uncompartibilized and compartibilized thermoplastic elastomer biocomposites absorbed more PMS than AGO at same OPEFB loading and immersion time. Diffusion, sorption, and permeation coefficients of both PMS and AGO for the compatibilizedbiocompositesdecreased with increasing OPEFB content. The mode of transport of the automobile fluids into the filled rPE/NR blends has been found to be Fickianwhere the n values ranges from 0.1 to 0.4 for the various systems. This study also revealed greater degree of interaction between the PMS and the biocomposites than the AGO and the biocomposites.

Keywords:
polymer composites recycled polyethylene natural rubber automobile fluid sorption transport mechanism thermoplastic elastomers

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	S. Rajalekshmia and R. Josepha. Studies on thermoplastic elastomer based on linear low-density polyethylene and latex product waste modified with thiocarbanilide. International journal of polymeric materials and polymeric biomaterials. 54(10), (2005).
[2]	S. H. Zhu, C. M. Chan and Y. X. Zhang. Nitrile rubber/natural rubber thermoplastic composites. Journal of applied polymer science, 58, (2005).
[3]	F. Cai and N. Isayev. Studies on the mechanical and morphological properties of nitrile rubber/polystyrene blend. Journal of elastomer and plastics, 25, 249-260(2003).
[4]	H. C. Obasi, O. Ogbobe and I. O. Igwe. Diffusion characteristics of toluene into natural rubber/linear low density polyethylene blends. International journal of polymer science, 54(4), 765-771(2009).
[5]	R. F. Jeol, Polymer science and technology, second edition, New Delhi: Prentice-Hall, 2005.
[6]	I. O. Igwe, C. M. Ewulonu and I. Igboanugo. Studies on the diffusion characteristics of some aromatic solvent into polypropylene films. Journal of applied polymer science, 102(2), 1985-1989, (2006).
[7]	F. Candia, L. Gargani, and A. Renzulli. Transport properties of filled elastomeric networks. Journal of applied polymer science, 41(5-6), 955-964, (1990).
[8]	S. N. Lawandy and S. H. Botros. Effect of type and amount of carbon black on the interaction between polychloroprene rubber and motor oil. Journal of applied polymer science, 42 (1), 137–141, (2001).
[9]	G. N. Onyeagoro and M. E. Enyiegbulam. Sorption characteristics of dynamically vulcanized PP/epoxidized NR blends filled with carbonized dika nutshell. Academic research intimation, 3 (2), (2012).
[10]	A. Ahmed, D. H. Mohd and I. Abdullah. Mechanical properties of filled natural rubber/linear low density polyethylene blends. Iranian polymer journal, 13 (3), 73-178, (2004).
[11]	C. M. Ewulonu, G. N. Onyeagoro and I. C. Chukwujike. Transport of n-hexane through carbonized oil palm empty fruit bunch powder filled polypropylene/natural rubber biocomposites. International journal of composite materials, 4(1), 4-13, (2014).
[12]	D. Danwanichakul, S. Jaroenkarn, P. Jumpathi and D. Decho-jarassri. Sorption and desorption of toluene, m-xylene, p-cresol and water by natural rubber chips. Songklanakarin journal of science and technology, 28(5), 1071-1082, (2006).
[13]	F. W. Billmeyer. Text book of polymer science. WileyInterscience, Singapore (1994).
[14]	H. Varghese, S. S. Bhagawan and S. Thomas. Transport properties of crosslinked acrylonitrile butadiene rubber/poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) blends. Journal of polymer science part B: polymer physics, 37(15), 1815-1831, (2009).
[15]	C. M. Ewulonu and I. O. Igwe. Properties of oil palm empty fruit bunch fibre filled high density polyethylene. International journal of engineering and technology, 3(6), 458-471, (2012).
[16]	A. P. Mathew, S. Packirisamy, R. Stephen and S. Thomas. Transport of aromatic solvents through natural rubber/ polystyrene (NR/PS) interpenetrating polymer network membranes. Journal of membrane science, 201(1-2), 213-227, (2002).
[17]	I. C. Chukwujike, C. M. Ewulonu and M. Chukwu. Sorption properties of carbonized/uncarbonizedcornhub powder filled natural rubber/acrylonitrilebutadiene rubber biocomposite. International journal of multidisciplinary research and development, 2 (8), 154-160, (2015).
[18]	J. W. M. Noordermeer, R. N. Datta, W. K. Dierkes, R. Guo, T. Mathew, A. G. Talma, M. Tiwari and W. van Ooij. Surface modification of fillers and curatives by plasma polymerization for enhanced performance of single rubbers and dissimilar rubber/rubber blends. Advanced polymer science 239, 167-218, (2011).
[19]	J. Crank. The mathematics of diffusion. Clarendon – Oxford university press, Oxford, UK (1975).
[20]	H. Odani, M. Uchikura, Y. Ogino, M. Kurata. Diffusion and solution of methanol vapor in poly (2-vinylpyridine)- block- polyisoprene and poly(2-vinylpyridine)-block-polystyrene. Journal of membrane science, 15(2), 193-208, (1983).
[21]	K. P. Dasan, G. Unnikrishnan and E. Purushothaman. Solvent transport through carbon black filledpoly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) composites. eXPRESS polymer letters, 2(5),382-390,(2008).
[22]	I. O. Igwe, and O. E. Ezeani, Studies on the transport of aromatic solvents through filled natural rubber. International journal of polymer science, vol. 2012, 1-11, (2012).
[23]	C. Kumnuantip and N. Sombatsompop. Dynamic mechanicalproperties and swelling behaviour of NR/reclaimed rubberblends. Materials letters, 57(21), 3167-3174, (2003).
[24]	G. Unnikrishnan, and S. Thomas. Diffusion and transport of aromatic hydrocarbons through natural rubber.Polymer, 35(25), 5504-5510 (2004).
[25]	T. M. Aminabhavi and H. T. S. Phayde. Molecular transportof alkanes through thermoplastic miscible blends of ethylenepropylenerandom copolymer and isostatic polypropylene. Journal of applied polymer science, 55, 1335-1352, (1995).