Heat Treatment Effect On Anti-Tacking Properties Of An Zn-Stearate/Tea-Stearate/Water Emulsion System

Carbon master batch (CMB) rubber sheets, which are stored in stacks, are difficult to separate during reuse because of the adhesion between sheets caused by the stacked weight over time. To solve this problem, in the actual rubber product manufacturing process, various anti-tacking agents (solid powder or liquid surfactants) are applied to the sheet surface. In this study, the emulsion samples of zinc (Zn)-stearate/triethanolamine (TEA)-stearate mixtures were prepared using TEA-stearate as a surfactant, prepared using an industrially manufactured Zn-stearate powder, and their basic anti-tacking properties were studied. During the process of manufacturing emulsion, a heat treatment process and an auxiliary surfactant were introduced to improve the dispersion stability. Results showed that the heat-treated sample exhibited a significant improvement in terms of sedimentation, storage stability, and anti-tacking characteristics since the Zn-stearate particles were reduced to a smaller size by the heat-treatment than that of the original Zn-stearate powder.