Technology: Zeon seeks to improve long-term performance of HNBR

Nuremberg, Germany – Zeon Corp. is seeking to enhance the long-term properties of hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR) to meet increasing demands from the automotive and oil & gas industries.

A particular focus is on peroxide-cured compounds, in which the use of metal oxides – typically 3-5phr of zinc oxide – is standard, set out a paper presented by Dana Stripe at the recent DKT 2018 conference in Nuremberg.

Zeon, explained Stripe, is studying a range of alternative options to metal oxides. These include hydrotalcite, which is typically used in chlorine-containing polymers, and can act as an acid-acceptor.

Among other areas, Zeon is also studying the use polymeric plasticisers to improve the long-term heat aging properties of HNBR.

The benefits, suggests the paper, could out-weigh reductions in compression set in some applications.

Full details of this paper are available in the Technical Papers section of the ERJ homepage.