Effect of carbon black on properties of a crylonitrile‐chloroprene rubber

Abstract Impacts of different grades of carbon black (CB) on the properties of the newly developed copolymer of chloroprene and acrylonitrile are discussed here. Seven commercial grades of CB, from three generic categories based on their manufacturing: furnace black, thermal black, and acetylene black, encompassing a large range of surface areas, structures, and surface activities, are considered in this comprehensive study. The impacts exerted by the different CB on viscosity, cure characteristics, mechanical properties, and some functional features, such as resistance to abrasion, heat build‐up, heat aging resistance, and solvent‐resistance of the poly(acrylonitrile‐chloroprene) rubber (NCR) vulcanizates are investigated. Mooney viscosity, cross‐link density, and most of the physical properties are strongly influenced by the filler morphologies such as surface area and the structure of CB.