Rubber components are found in virtually every area of modern life. Rubber is used in cars, in shoes, in athletic products, in construction, and in many other applications. The Rubber Technologist's Handbook provides a foundation in rubber technology and discusses the most recent developments in the field.

From the Preface: “From a materials point of view a rubber product is made from rubber and a host of other additives, including fillers, vulcanising agents and processing aids along with reinforcing materials such as textiles. From a manufacturing point of view, a rubber product is made by following several steps: mixing of additives with the rubber (`compounding') when the rubber is unvulcanised and in the plastic state; shaping the rubber compound and/or bonding it to a substrate; and finally vulcanising or curing the whole assembly, when chemical crosslinks are formed between the rubber molecules to give the material its `elastic' recovery behaviour. The final properties of a rubber product depend on the type of rubber chosen and the additives used and their concentrations...”

Target Audience: Engineers, designers, researchers, students, and any other readers concerned with rubber technology.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Natural Rubber

Synthetic Elastomers

Thermoplastic Elastomers

Fillers

Rubber Additives — Compounding Ingredients

Rubber Mixing

Durability of Engineering Products

Engineering with Elastomers

Testing

Trends in Tyre Technology

Automotive Rubbers

Rubber Compounding in Footwear

Rubber in Construction

Rubber Recycling

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Index