Ideal Rubber Component of Marine Fenders

The processing of a rubber formulation is a very important aspect of rubber compounding. Also, it is important to understand the rubber properties needed for good processability and the tests performed to measure these properties.

Uncured rubber, whether natural or synthetic, behaves as a viscoelastic fluid during mixing. Under processing conditions, various rubber chemicals, fillers, and other additives can be added and mixed into the rubber to form an uncured “rubber compound.” These compounding ingredients are generally added to the rubber through one of two basic types of mixers, the two roll mill or the internal mixer.

In marine fenders, the rubber component is critical in developing the characteristics of the system. However, there is generally a limited understanding of rubber compound quality and its impact on fender performance.

A high quality compound is one where the carbon black is broken down and distributed uniformly throughout the rubber matrix. Carbon black is supplied to manufacturers in the form of granules. These granules can be broken down into smaller and smaller fragments: granule to agglomerate to aggregate to nanoparticle.

Ideally, carbon black should be broken down into nanoparticles and distributed into the rubber matrix. However, it requires an extremely advanced mixing machine to break it down to aggregate level, the bare minimum to ensure an intimate dispersion within the rubber matrix.

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