The Effect of Zinc Oxide on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Elastic Polymers

The area of local inelasticity in latex elastic polymers filled and unfilled with zinc oxide powder in comparison with metallic zinc was investigated by the method of internal friction. The studies were carried out in the wide temperature range of from –150 to 50°C of the method of freely damped torsional vibrations. In the spectra of the internal friction of polymers, several dissipative losses of different intensities were found located in different temperature ranges. A decrease in the intensity of the α-relaxation process during filling was found in both cases. At the same time, in the presence of zinc powder, an expansion of the glass transition temperature region was found due to positive temperatures, while there was a narrowing of this region due to the low-temperature region in the presence of zinc oxide. In addition to α-relaxation, another, less intense, β-relaxation process was discovered. When zinc oxide is introduced into the polymer, its intensity decreases. The temperature dependences of the frequency of the oscillatory process are obtained, on the basis of which the regions of inelasticity and their change during filling are established. A theoretical analysis of the effect of fillers on the physical and mechanical characteristics of relaxation processes is carried out. At subzero temperatures, several µ-relaxation processes were revealed, the intensities of which depend on the filler.