Surfacial Chemical Effects of Abrasive Erosion of Natural Rubber

The surfacial chemical effects of abrasive erosion of nature rubber in three diffe rent fluid mediums(H 2O,PAM and NaOH solutions) containing quartz particles have been investigated respectively. The surface profile, element constitutions and functional groups of natural rubber surfaces before and after abrasive eroding have been analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy(SEM), X ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and Fouriee transform infrared spectrometer(FT IR). It has been found that the surfacial chemical effects of natural rubber during abrasive eroding are mechanical fracture of macromolecular chains and oxidative degradation, in addition, fracture of crosslinkable covalent bonds of S S in fluid medium of PAM; The main products are low molecular polymers containing some groups, such as C-O and CO(in mediums of H 2O,PAM and NaOH) and R-COOH(in mediums of PAM and NaOH).