EPOXY-RESIN FILLED WITH TIRE RUBBER PARTICLES MODIFIED BY PLASMA SURFACE-TREATMENT

To expand the options for use of recycled ground tire rubber; a compos ite material composed eo epoxy resin and rubber particles treated with radiofrequency O-2 plasma has been studied. The number and nature of chemical species deposited on the rubber particles were evaluated by X -ray photoelectric spectroscopy (XPS) which showed increases in the nu mber of C-OH, -COOH groups on the surfaces of the particles after trea tment with O-2 plasma. Tensile and impact testing of composites made w ith treated and untreated particles showed that compared to neat epoxy resin, composites made with treated particles lost less tensile stren gth than composites made with untreated particles. Similarly, composit es with treated particles gained less impact strength than composites made untreated particles. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) indicated that rubber particles were adhered to epoxy resin well enough to be d eformed when the composite was stressed in tension. In addition, the t reated rubber-epoxy composites' resistance to organic solvents was gre ater than that of composites with untreated rubber particles.