Ultrasonic and viscometery compatibility studies of nitrile-butyl rubber blends

The compatibility has been considered to be a fundamental property in polymer blends deciding their practical utility. Determination of the ultrasonic velocity and absolute viscosity of solution blends of bromo butyl rubber (BIIR) and acrylonitrile-co-butadiene rubber (NBR) blends with the help of ultrasonic interferometer and viscometer in various blend ratios with and without the presence of chlorinated polyethylene (CM) as compatibilizer have been the main objective of the present study. It has been demonstrated that ultrasonic velocity depicts a non-linear behaviour with variation in blend ratio without the compatabilizer. The addition of compatibilizer results in appreciable enhancement of the ultrasonic velocity and it varies linearly with blend composition. Absolute viscosity versus blends ratio plot follows the same trend as has been observed in ultrasonic velocity versus blend ratio plot. These studies reveal that CM acts as an efficient compatibilizer for this blend system. SEM studies also confirm the compatibilization effect of CM on BIIR/NBR blend. (author)