Determination of mechanical properties of silica compounds using a curing kinetic model

Curing is the final step in rubber goods production and the mechanical properties of the vulcanized items, strongly depend on the processing conditions. The objective of this research is to predict the mechanical properties of SBR silica compound using kinetic data obtained from curemeter measurements. The model proposed is based on two curing parameters and on mechanical properties measured in the cured and uncured state. Results showed that the model is able to accurately predict the mechanical properties of the isothermal cured compound and therefore has potential application in the non-isothermal curing cycle optimization.