INFLUENCE OF METAL SALT ADHESION PROMOTERS ON THE PROCESSABILITY OF STEEL CORD SKIM COMPOUNDS

The rheological behaviour of steel cord skim compounds in the presence of different metal salt adhesion promoters has been studied using a M onsanto Processability Tester. The compounds show pseudo-plastic flow behaviour. The decrease in viscosity with increase in the concentratio n of cobalt stearate has been expressed by a linear equation. Extrudat e swell slightly decreases with shear rate and increases with temperat ure. The maximum recoverable deformation has been calculated and a lin ear generalized relationship has been obtained between extrudate swell and maximum recoverable deformation. The principal normal stress diff erence has been found to increase non-linearly with shear stress. The activation energy of the melt flow process increases with rate of shea r in most cases.