© 2014 Smithers Information Ltd. T/1 Kauchuk i Rezina, No. 6, 2013, pp. 10–13 The use of an ultradisperse diamond charge as an additive to elastomer composites R.M. Dolinskaya, 1 T.D. Sviderskaya, 1 N.R. Prokopchuk, 1 M.E. Leizeronok, 2 Yu.V. Korovina, 2 A.F. Il’yushchenko, 3 and Yu.O. Lisovskaya 3 1 Belorussian State Technological University (BGTU), Minsk, Belarus 2 OAO Belarus’rezinotekhnika, Bobruisk, Belarus 3 Institute of Powder Metallurgy (GNU IPM), Minsk, Belarus Selected from International Polymer Science and Technology, 41, No. 3, 2014, reference KR 13/06/10; transl. serial no. 17138 Translated by P. Curtis Detonation-synthesis diamonds are a new promising material produced using explosive energy. Nanodiamond powder consisting of grains of round form with a particle size of 10-200 Å (mean 60 Å) possesses a unique magnitude of specific surface and surface energy, which enables it to be used as a powerful crosslinking agent in different materials (rubbers, ceramics, plastics) for a considerable improvement in their characteristics. In numerous investigations, the effectiveness of introducing nanodiamonds and a diamond-containing charge into polymer composites and films based on polyfluorinated elastomers, perfluorinated hydrocarbons, polysiloxanes, polyisoprenes, styrene butadiene rubbers, polyurethanes, polyimides, and so on, has been shown [1-9]. As demonstrated by Aleksenskii et al. [10] and Dolmatov [11], the introduction of nanodiamonds on the whole increases the elastic strength characteristics and ensures in a number of cases unique tribotechnical properties of polymers. The aim of this work was an experimental investigation of the effect of an ultradisperse diamond (UDD) charge introduced into elastomer composites on the processing and mechanical properties of rubber compounds based on BNKS-28AM(N) nitrile butadiene rubber. The main materials investigated were nitrile butadiene rubber BNKS-28AM(N) (a special-purpose rubber) and a charge of UDDs of grades UDAG-1 and UDAG-2 as additives, the properties of which are presented in Table 1. The specific surface and grain size distribution of specimens of diamond-containing charge were determined using SA 1300 and Zetasizer analysers (Malvern Instruments, Malvern, UK). The range of measurement of the specific surface was 0.01- 2000 m 2 /g. The choice of the given grade of rubber was governed by the fact that investigations of the structure of a polymer matrix (different grades of rubbers) + UDDs by the present authors on a JEOL JSM-5610 LV microscope had shown that both types of charge were distributed well within an elastomer matrix based on this rubber. The composite turns out to be homogeneous, and of stable colour. Investigations [12] showed that this is one of the most widely used rubbers in the industrial production of mechanical rubber goods. Model elastomer composites based on synthetic nitrile butadiene rubber BNKS-28AM(N) were manufactured on a 320 160/160 laboratory mill. The forming of specimens was carried out in a hydraulic press at a temperature of 143 ± 3°C. Table 1. Properties of modifying additives of grades UDAG-1 and UDAG-2 Grade Moisture content a (%) Ash content a Carbon content (%) Impurities (%) Specific surface (m 2 /g) Mean particle size (nm) UDAG-1 8 1.7 75 Ca 0.84, Fe 0.88 374.83 100 UDAG-2 8.6 1.9 76 Ca 0.68, Fe 0.68 378.46 100 a The moisture content and ash content of the material at room temperature and 76% humidity are given