Effect of Ribbed Smoked Sheet/Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Ratio on Mechanical Properties of Compounds for Pneumatic Fender Applications

Abstract

One type of technical rubber that is currently imported is a pneumatic fender, which mostly only uses synthetic rubber as raw material. Whereas natural rubber has superior mechanical properties that are better than synthetic rubber. This research will combine natural rubber (RSS) with EPDM synthetic rubber by varying the RSS/EPDM mass ratio. This study aims to determine the effect of the mass ratio of RSS/EPDM on the quality of the mechanical properties of pneumatic fender compounds. The rubber compound is made with a ratio of RSS/EPDM: 100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, and 0/100. The mechanical testing was carried out under normal and aging conditions. The test results showed that the mass ratio of RSS/EPDM rubber affected the mechanical properties of the resulting rubber compound. The rubber compound formula containing EPDM 10 to 30 phr is suitable for pneumatic fender applications due to better properties and resistance after aging, particularly compression set.