Modeling and practice of ethanol-devolatilization of silica-silane rubber compounds in an internal mixer

During mixing of a rubber compound containing silica and silane, the mixer is not only used for the dispersion of the filler and other ingredients, but also for a chemical reaction. These two functionalities of the mixer result in opposite processing requirements: A good dispersion is reached by high shearing forces, increasing the compound temperature. The silanization is not dependent on high shearing forces; it is positively influenced by high temperatures, but with an increasing risk of scorch. Another drawback is the equilibrium between the ethanol concentration in the vapor phase in the void space of the mixing chamber and in the rubber phase, which is limiting the reaction rate of the silanization. Devolatilization of the compound is a crucial factor for the efficiency of the silanization reaction. In this article a model for devolatilization of a rubber compound in an internal mixer is developed, including a chemical reaction replenishing the volatile component during the devolatilization process. The model is based on the penetration theory, with the main contribution to the devolatilization being connective mass transfer. The main influencing factors, theoretically deducted and practically verified, are temperature, mixer volume, fill factor, rotor speed, reaction time and partial pressure of the volatile component in the void volume of the mixer.