EFFECT OF PEPTIZING AGENT ON MOLAR-MASS, VISCOSITY AND ENERGY-CONSUMPTION IN MASTICATION OF NATURAL-RUBBER

The paper deals with the effect of peptizing agent on lowering the mol ar mass and corresponding viscosity of natural rubber, as well as ener gy consumption at different mastication temperatures in a Brabender mi xer. Mooney and capillary viscometry, together with gel permeation chr omatography, were used to determine viscosities and molar mass distrib utions with corresponding averages, respectively, of the masticated na tural rubber with and without peptizing agent under various conditions . Energy consumption in the mastication process was determined by inte grating the areas under torque-mastication time curves obtained by the mixer. Interesting results obtained present not only the advantages o f the peptizing agent's application, but also confirm the mastication theory and the predicted viscosity-molar mass relation. Furthermore, t hey show that the chain scission in the mastication process without or with peptizing agent is a random process under any conditions.