In-Situ Formation of Samarium Methacrylate Rare Earth Complex for Improvement of the Durable Sealing Resilience of Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Rubber as a Sealing Material

Abstract

Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber/zinc dimethacrylate (ZDMA)-samarium methacrylate (Sm(MA)₃) rare earth complex as seals were prepared via in-situ formation of Sm(MA)₃ to partially replace the ZDMA. Compared with neat EPDM, incorporation of ZDMA-Sm(MA)₃ improved the curing activity of EPDM and a multiple crosslinking network formed with high crosslinking density. Improvement of the interfacial interaction facilitated distribution of the ZDMA-Sm(MA)₃ in the matrix and resulted in an increase of the mechanical properties of the composites compared with neat EPDM. In addition, partially replacing the ZDMA with Sm(MA)₃ significantly enhanced the durable sealing resilience performance of the composites by improving their free radical scavenging ability and inhibiting the degradation, oxidation and crosslinking reaction of the EPDM during stress-thermal oxidation aging.

Keywords:

• ethylene propylene diene monomer-based composites
• improved durable sealing resilience performance
• multiple crosslinking network structure
• zinc dimethacrylate-samarium methacrylate

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Science and Technology Project of Sichuan Province (2019YFG0240).