A Review On Rubber Compound Mixing in Banbury Mixer at Tire Industries
A Review On Rubber Compound Mixing in Banbury Mixer at Tire Industries
A Review On Rubber Compound Mixing in Banbury Mixer at Tire Industries
A knowledge of physical characteristics and forms Slow roll Roll rotating at slowest speed
leads to a certain amount of guidance regarding the Fast roll Roll rotating at fastest speed
most suitable type of mixer. For example, the Friction ratio Roll speed ratio
knowledge that liquid additives need to be mixed into Separating force Resultant force exerted by material
a liquid polymer would direct the technologist to in roll gap
certain types of equipment. But selection of the
optimum mixer is not always possible, primarily
because of economic factors. The organisation must
often make do with what happens to be available; the
ingenuity of the compounder lies in his or her ability
to achieve specific results with the equipment on hand.
On the other hand, given some degree of choice a more
appropriate machine is usually available to improve
mixing characteristics and, therefore, final properties.
Early in the history of ruber compounding, almost
simultaneously with Goodyear's discovery of sulphur
vulcanisation it was found that kneading or softening
the elastomer was useful in increasing its receptivity to
incorporation of powders. This is the basis of mixing-
masticating the elastomer to make it receptive to other
ingredients, yet retaining sufficient stiffness to ensure The rolls are bored to permit cooling
adequete dispersion. (The more difficult an ingredient or heating the gap between the rolls adjustable within
is to disperse, the higher the viscosity required during a range related to roll diameter. The mixing procedure
mixing ) This balance of mastication without undue is relatively standard. The operator places portions of
shear softening can be achieved through several elastomer on the mill, kneading the sample by multiple
means. passes through the gap, until sufficient reduction in
1. Mixing with close temperature control. stiffness permits it to wrap and adhere to one roll. The
2. Use of a specific sequence for adding materials. gap is adjusted so that a reservoir of elastomer is
3. In some cases, remixing after cooling (two-pass always rotating above the nip. This reservoir is called
mixing). the rolling bank. Rolling is rarely observed when the
These three considerations apply to mixing with all the polymer has only limited elastomeric character at the
most common types of equipment: two-roll mills, milling temperature. In such cases the reservoir may
internal batch mixers, continuous mixers, extruders or flop about or break into discrete sections. This
combinations thereof. behaviour may often be corrected by a different choice
MIXING MACHINERY FOR of mill temperature on one roll or both, sometimes
RUBBER merely by using a different nip setting.
Two-roll Mills Powders are now added into the gap
Every mixer must provide two basic with frequent pan sweeping to recover increments
functions, both equally important-acceptable which drop through. Process oil or plasticiser is also
dispersion (intensive or dispersive mixing) and high added usually after pan of the filler content has been
uniformity (extensive or distributive mixing). The incorporated. Only then does the mill operator begin to
equipment used most often by the rubber technologist cut the rubber from one side of the mill, passing it to
is the two-roll lab mill-a device for preparing small the other side, to cross-blend the batch. At the
quantities of mixed compound. This mixing device is conclusion of mixing (usually determined by the
usually set for a ratio of roll surface frictional speed of judgement either of the operator or a supervisor) the
about 1.25:1. batch is cut from the mill for cooling and storage. A
Roll Nomenclature major advantage of mill mixing is the high shear
Diameter (D) Usually same for both rolls developed at the mill nip, this breaks up agglomerates
Face length (L) Roll length (mill sizes expressed as and drives incorporation of ingredients. Furthermore,
D × L) the massive surface exposure imparts good cooling,
Roll gap Distance between rolls thereby maintaining the stiffness of the compound.
Sank size Material sitting above gap And due to the roll friction ratio the rolling bank
Banded roll Roll which material follows imparts further high shear.
Front roll Roll on operator's side
The disadvantages of mill mixing usually Banbury mixers over the years. The currently used
far outnumber the advantages and may be listed as cooling passages, called drilled sides impart an ease of
follows- heat transfer never before obtainable. In fact, the heat
1. Length of the mixing cycles transfer efficiency of drilled-side mixers is so great
2. Dependence on operator skills that too much cooling can occur, leading to
3. Dust and dirt levels that are typical inefficiency when mixing certain types of compounds.
4. Difficulty in standardising subjective procedures This is corrected, and mixing generally much
5. Difficulty in controlling batch to batch uniformity. improved, by the use of a closed-circuit coolant
Mills are used more in forming and tempering system. This system is used to dial in the
breakdown applications than in actual mixing except proper temperature, optimising the degree of heat
for addition of curatives to pre-mixed masterbatch. transfer and complementing the viscosity of a specific
The most common ratio of roll speeds in the past was compound.
1.25:1, with the slower of the two rolls usually on what As with the two-roll mill, the
is most frequently the operator's side (often called the sequence of ingredient additions is critical. In the case
'front' roll). Recent investigations have shown that the of the high viscosity elastomers, the polymer is usually
temperature rise of rubber on a two-roll mill is directly added and masticated before the fillers are added; then
related to the sum of the speeds of two rolls. Therefore, the plasticisers and softeners are finally introduced. If
whether the sum reduced by slowing the faster of two the particular compound contains no curatives it is
rolls (a change of friction ratio), or by reducing the then discharged at an appropriate predetermined
speed of both rolls (maintaining the same friction temperature. If the compound is a single-pass
ratio) the result is a reduction in rubber temperature thermosetting composition, the curatives and
build-up. Mills built in recent years have had lower accelerators are also added and the batch discharged at
total speed ratios closer to 1.1:1 and the fast roll at the a lower temperature to prevent scorch (premature
front. In addition to improved processing of a broader curing). The criterion for completion of the batch is
range of elastomeric compounds, many such mills often mixing to a specific temperature. Other criteria
have also featured drilled rolls, permitting better include elapsed time, and total power input into the
temperature control and leading to easier compound batch. A combination of these observations is
release. commonly used to judge the end-point and related to
Internal Batch Mixers further processing of the batch during fabrication or to
The Banbury internal mixer was observe properties after vulcanisation. The selection of
originally manufactured to replace the two-roll mill. rotor speeds, mixer size and the extent of materials
The original nomenclature indicated the approximate handling automation are all related to the demands of
number of 60" mills that a specific Banbury size could the specific sector of the rubber industry. At one
equal in output. The basic design of the machine extreme there is the massive quantity of compound
includes two rotors that operate at a slight speed mixed by tyre manufacturers, where most compounds
differential. The rotors are non-interlocking. Mixing or are two-stage mixed (masterbatch and final) using high
shearing action occurs between the rotors and the sides speed, automated materials handling equipment and
of the mixer and between the rotors themselves. The large mixers. On the other hand, many custom
mixer is top loaded through an opening large enough compounders and mechanical goods manufacturers
to accommodate bales of elastomers (as well as the (who have a large number of recipes) prefer lower
other ingredients). Pressure is exerted on the batch speeds and smaller machines and they have too great a
using a ram which closes the feed opening. Discharge variety of materials for totally automated handling. In
of the batch occurs at the bottom of the mixing many cases their compounds are mixed in a single
chamber. The rotor design is such that material in the cycle to reduce handling and inventories.
chamber is constantly being displaced, corresponding The major advantages of the internal batch mixer are
to the cross-blending action of the mill operator cutting as follows:-
the batch on a two-roll mill. The compound is 1. Highly reproducible cycles
subjected to the shearing action of the rotors against 2. Minimum dependence upon operator skills
the sides and the action of the rolling bank between the 3. Large capacity and high output
rotors. 4. Relatively short mixing cycles
The mixing chamber sides and the 5. Potentially clean factory operations.
rotors are copied to maintain a high rate of shear during But there are some disadvantages, compared to mill
the mixing process. Improved cooling has been one of mixing:-
the most significant changes in modification of 1. More rapid temperature rise in mixing