Silica reinforced rubbers are used as chemical resistant seals at high temperature. In this study the effect of alkali and silicon oil on the thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of the silica reinforced butyl rubber exposed as an interface between two liquid media at elevated temperature is investigated. Rubber bladder containing alkaline solution was immersed in silicon oil at 195±5oC for multiple cycles and loss in its thermal, thermo-mechanical and mechanical properties were studied by TGA, DMA and Tinius Olsen Testing Machine supported by FTIR and Optical microscopy. It was observed that the thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of butyl rubber were negatively affected due to leaching out of silica filler embedded in an organic matrix at elevated temperature. The thermal stability of exposed rubber was decreased around 200oC and the loss of storage modulus was observed up to 99.5% at -59oC.


Shaukat Ali, Sadaf Ramzan, Ramsha Raza, Fiaz Ahmed, Shafiq Ullah, Rizwan Hussain and Saqib Ali