Study of the influence of non-polar rubbers on the low-temperature properties of chloroprene rubbers

Improving the frost resistance and resistance of rubber to aggressive environments remains a pressing challenge in the development of elastomeric materials for use in cold climates. Despite the versatile performance properties of chloroprene rubber (CR), its tendency to crystallize and insufficient frost resistance limit its use at low temperatures. A promising area of research is modifying CR using non-polar rubbers with high elasticity and a low glass transition temperature. The aim of this work is to increase the frost resistance of rubbers based on chloroprene rubber by introducing a mixture of butadiene (BR) and styrene-butadiene (SBR) rubbers, as well as to study the effectiveness of using rubber mixtures to improve the performance characteristics of rubbers under low temperature conditions. The subjects of this study were rubber compounds based on CR grade Denka S40, BR grade B- Ti, and SBR grade 1810F. It has been established that the introduction of non-polar rubbers into CR-based rubbers improves frost resistance and stabilizes properties at low temperatures. Low-temperature studies have shown that the blended compounds exhibit higher frost resistance than the original CR-based rubber, confirming the effectiveness of the formulation modification approach. This is due to the fact that the introduction of low-glass transition rubbers (BR, SBR) and the reduction in crystallization ensure the preservation of elasticity at lower temperatures. Optimization of the formulation has achieved a balance between strength and frost resistance, making these compounds promising for use in cold climates.