BONDING OF ULTRA-HIGH-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE TO STYRENE BUTADIENE RUBBER

The adhesion between a sulfur-vulcanized SBR and polyethylenes (PE) of various molecular weights has been determined using a T-peel geometry . When the viscosity average molecular weight of the polyethylene exce eds about 700 k, bonding is sufficient to cause rubber tear during pee ling. In contrast, with PE of M(v)BAR almost-equal-to 147k, joint stre ngth is reduced by more than an order of magnitude and fracture procee ds between the SBR and PE. It is hypothesized that the high bond stren gth with the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is due to the formation of entrapped tangles between chains of the two adhere nds. Consistent with this, SBR-UHMWPE bonds are not disrupted after ex tensive swelling in toluene.