Studies on the Transport of Aromatic Solvents through Filled Natural Rubber

Abstract

The transport of three aromatic solvents (benzene, toluene and xylene) through snail shell powder filled natural rubber was studied at 313, 333, and 353 K by conventional weight-gain experiments. The effects of snail shell powder content, particle size, nature of solvent, and temperature on the transport characteristics of natural rubber were determined. The estimated Arrhenius activation energies for the processes of sorption, diffusion, and permeation showed that the activation energies were highest in xylene at all the filler contents investigated. The calculated enthalpies, and entropies of sorption were all positive for the solvents investigated. Similarly, the change in the estimated free energies of sorption were all positive; an indication of the non-spontaneity of the solubility of snail shell powder filled natural rubber in the aromatic solvents at 313 k.