Abstract
Oil seals are used to arrest the leakage of the fluid of the system during mechanical operation. Oil seals are widely used in automobile and aircraft, industrial machines, medical devices and farm equipment. The role of polymers and its ingredients play vital role in the development of excellent oil resistance properties in oil seals. In this research, the effort is made to use the waste generated by leather industry as a low-cost reinforcing short fibre in rubber formulations to make oil seal. Excellent oil resistance performance can be achieved through effective blending of elastomers and fillers with suitable cure systems and modifying the level of other compounding ingredients such as zinc oxide, stearic acid, coumarone indane resin and paraffin wax. Cost reduction is achieved through increasing filler loading and also with incorporation of the fibrous nature of chrome shavings obtained from leather processing industries. Compound formulations are prepared on the basis of critical studies which include employing various cure system, increasing zinc oxide content, stearic acid content, blending of rubbers and fillers. Based on these technical approaches served, formulations are developed. Out of these formulations, NBR 60 Phr/SBR 40 Phr with leather chrome shavings up to 30 Phr rubber formulation compound exhibit excellent oil resistance performance at lower cost.
