Department of Petroleum Engineering, General Abdulsalmi A. Abubakar, College of Engineering, Igbinedion University Okada, Nigeria; Department of Chemical Sciences, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Igbinedion University Okada, Nigeria
Omofuma, F.E., Department of Petroleum Engineering, General Abdulsalmi A. Abubakar, College of Engineering, Igbinedion University Okada, Nigeria; Adeniye, S.A., Department of Chemical Sciences, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Igbinedion University Okada, Nigeria; Adeleke, A.E., Department of Chemical Sciences, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Igbinedion University Okada, Nigeria
The essence of this research paper is to gauge the effect of particle size and particle size distribution of filler on rubber compounds. It also involves the comparison of the level of reinforcement and gauge the possibility of utilizing the low cost locally sourced filler [(rice husk and wood flour) with a commercial filler calcium carbonate (CaCO 3)] as an alternative material in rubber compounding. Thus, the use of rice husk and wood flour as filler will in no doubt promote self employment among the teaming unemployed youths thereby reducing poverty and creating wealth for the people. Test like moisture content, pH, ash content, hardness resistance, abrasion resistance, compression set and flex fatigue were subsequently carried out on the vulcanizate. These properties were compared with that of CaCO 3 filled vulcanizate. The result reveals that at 212um, rice husk has hardness resistance of 50 (IRHD) and flex resistance 8690rpm and wood flour has better hardness resistance of 57 (IRHD), flex fatigue resistance of 10955rpm (yet to fail) and abrasion resistance of 21.0122%. © IDOSI Publications, 2011.