2021
Soybean Oil-based Additives for Low-Friction Rubber Components
Home
Contributor/Checkoff:
North Dakota Soybean Council
Category:
Industrial
Keywords:
BiobasedBiodegradableIndustrial UsesProcessing co-productsProcessing technology
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Dean Webster, North Dakota State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
QSSB
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
North Dakota Soybean Council
$31,661
Institution Funded:
North Dakota State University
$31,661
Brief Project Summary:

Polystyrene-butadiene (SBR) rubber compounds have wide applications for conveyor belts due to its excellent mechanical and wear properties and relatively low price. The disadvantage is the high coefficient of friction (COF) resulting in overheating of moving conveyor parts and belt damage. In this project, a new soy-based product for the rubber industry will be developed that will improve the performance of belting for harvesting equipment and increase the use of soybean oil. Further modification of soybean oil-based additives will provide the required properties.

Key Benefactors:
farmers, engineers, manufacturers

Information And Results
Project Deliverables

The project deliverable will be the identification of the chemical structure of additive for SBR rubber synthesized from soybean oil that will reduce a COF for SBR rubber with controlled migration to the surface of the rubber. The concentration of the soy-based additive in the SBR compound will be optimized. Other project deliverables will include project final report and the possibility of publication of results in a scientific journal and/or submitting a patent application.

Final Project Results

Update:

View uploaded report PDF file

The objective of this project was to evaluate the potential of modified soybean oils (SBO) as additives for poly(styrene-butadiene) (SBR) rubber compounds for reduction of coefficient of surface friction of the rubber. SBR rubber is widely used for the manufacturing of conveyor belts and rubber belts for various agriculture harvesting equipment. SBR rubber has good mechanical strength and durability but has a high coefficient of friction (COF) which leads to overheating and damaging of the rubber belt. Chemically modified soybean oils were studied as additives to SBR rubber compounds. The compounds were vulcanized and tested for surface friction after different periods of time. Two modified SBOs were selected as additives that reduce surface friction. One additive is partially hydrogenated soybean oil (PHSO) which is an inexpensive commercial product having wide application in the food industry, cosmetics, and household products. The second additive named SOFA was synthesized by chemical modification of SBO with polystyrene and a fluoroacrylate. Both modified SBOs demonstrated reduction of surface friction of rubber compared to the reference rubber (see figure).
The SBR compounds were formulated with carbon black, petroleum-based aromatic oil, and different amounts of the modified soy-based additives. For some compounds, the petroleum-based oil was completely replaced with soy-based additives. Compounds were vulcanized and tested for mechanical properties. The results demonstrated that PHSO improves the mechanical properties of rubber such as tensile strength and hardness. SOFA slightly reduces the tensile strength of rubber but provides a stable reduction of surface friction. Both PHSO and SOFA can be used as additives for SBR compounds with enhanced mechanical and improved surface properties.
This project has identified a new potential use for soybean oil in industrial applications: for the modification of the surface friction properties of rubber compounds.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.