Shot Blasting Dust As a Filler in Elastomer Composites

The aim of this article was to determine the impact of using shot blasting dust as a filler in natural rubber (NR) composites. Increasing filler contents were used, from 0 to 30 parts by weight per 100 g of rubber. Examination of the wetting characteristics of the dust confirmed its hydrophobic nature. This characteristic makes it easier to introduce dust into the elastomer structure, with better binding to the mixture ingredients. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of the filler in the elastomer matrix, with changes in absorbency intensity and the absence of peaks at given wave numbers. SEM images were taken to compare the surface topography of the compositions with and without the filler. The compositions with fillers showed the presence of a common spatial network. The functional properties of the obtained elastomer compositions were analyzed. Mechanical examinations demonstrated that the introduction of dust into the elastomer compositions contributed to improve the mechanical properties of the compositions. The conductivity of the elastomer structures increased with the addition of the filler but these changes were minor and allow the vulcanizates to remain classified as insulators. TGA/DSC demonstrated an increase in the thermal stability of the composites after the introduction of shot blasting dust into the elastomer structure. The decomposition temperature shifted toward higher values and an increase in glass transition temperature was observed for the filled compositions. The results of this study indicate that the use of shot blasting dust as a filler in NR improves the functional properties of the vulcanizates and could be competitive with more widely-used methods using fillers such as silica or chalk.