Biopolymers as fillers for rubber blends

Polymeric materials from renewable resources have been tested as additives for rubber blends and vulcanisates. Their influence on the vulcanisation process, tensile strength properties and dynamical-mechanical properties has been studied and compared with silica. The corn starch, collagen hydrolysate, corn protein and various types of lignin have been added to natural and styrene butadiene rubber in order to find convenient fillers for rubber blends which are able to modify the properties of rubber products. Correlation between Wolf activity coefficient and mechanical properties of vulcanisates is discussed. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.