Characteristics of Pre-dispersed Rubber Additives

I. Characteristics of Pre-dispersed Rubber Additives

Rubber additives are chemical substances that significantly enhance the value and reduce the cost of rubber products. However, traditional rubber additives not only generate large amounts of dust and toxic, harmful gases during use, causing considerable harm to both the environment and the health of operators, but also have poor compatibility and difficulty in achieving uniform dispersion within the rubber matrix, thereby compromising their effectiveness.

II. Definition of Pre-dispersed Rubber Additives

Pre-dispersed rubber additives, also known as rubber additive masterbatches, involve incorporating rubber additives into a polymer carrier (commonly EPDM, SBR, NBR, or EVA) along with softeners, using special techniques to pre-disperse conventional rubber additives homogeneously into the polymer at a certain concentration to create a uniform pre-dispersion (extruded pellets). These pre-dispersed rubber additives represent an upgraded alternative to traditional ones, boasting benefits such as dust-free processing, ease of dispersion, suitability for automatic weighing and continuous low-temperature mixing, improved mixing efficiency, better storage stability, and hence, they are increasingly gaining attention and extensive application in rubber product manufacturing.

III. Advantages of Pre-dispersed Rubber Additives

1. Environmental friendliness: They prevent workshop dust pollution and protect workers' health.
2. Good dispersion: They ensure even distribution throughout the compound.
3. Enhanced compatibility: They have good compatibility with the rubber compound, saving mixing time.
4. Convenient measurement: They are suitable for automated, continuous processes, facilitating transportation and storage.
5. Consistent quality: There is no loss during processing, ensuring batch-to-batch consistency in product quality.
6. Favorable prospects: In China, pre-dispersed rubber additives are mainly used in high-quality precision products like premium rubber shoes, automotive rubber components, and high-grade rubber fittings. In the automotive sector, tire companies in China have introduced multiple steel radial tire production lines, many of which adopt pre-dispersed rubber masterbatch products to increase automation levels. With the rise in the radialization rate of tires in China, there remains substantial growth potential for pre-dispersed rubber masterbatches. The deep-processing of existing powdered and liquid additives into granules is an inevitable trend in the development of rubber additives.

IV. Main Components of Pre-dispersed Rubber Additives

1. Rubber Additives: These are the primary materials in pre-dispersed rubber additives, and their quality directly affects the overall quality of the pre-dispersed product, typically comprising 40%-80% of the content.

2. Carrier: The choice of carrier is critical in the production of pre-dispersed rubber additive masterbatches/master films. It should prioritize the solubility of the rubber additive in the carrier and the compatibility between the carrier and the rubber.

3. Additives: Additives in pre-dispersed rubber additive masterbatches/master films include plasticizers, lubricants, and anti-sticking agents. These additives improve the dispersion of the rubber additive within the rubber (carrier), enhance storage stability, improve extrusion appearance quality, and prevent adhesion between pre-dispersed rubber additives.