Physico-chemical properties of rubber particles-polyester composite using FTIR analysis
Author(s):
Kareem Fathy Abo Elenien†, N.A. Azab†, Ghada Bassioni‡, Mohamed Hazem Abdellatif‡†
Affiliation(s):
† Mechanical Design and Production Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Abbaseya, 1 Elsarayat St., 11517 Cairo, Egypt.
‡Chemistry Division, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Abbaseya, 1 Elsarayat St., 11517 Cairo, Egypt.
‡†Mechanical Design and Production Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Abbaseya, 1 Elsarayat St., 11517 Cairo, Egypt.
Corresponding Author Email: [email protected]
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The tire rubber particles are treated by microwave energy. The effect of treatment on tire rubber particles is studied after they have been exposed to different microwave energies. The rubber particles is examined and evaluated using an FTIR and a digital microscope. To investigate the impact of treatment on the mechanical properties of composites, polyester rubber composites were prepared. The FTIR analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of the limited devulcanization process, which improves the polymers interface adhesion. The microscopic analysis shows an increased roughness in the particle after treatment which may enhance the adhesion with polymers. The morphological analysis is also performed on the composite and shows good wettability of treated rubber particles and matrix in the composite. Treated polyester rubber composites have a higher ultimate tensile strength than untreated ones, but they have a lower Young’s modulus and impact strength.