Publication: Evaluation of mixing homogeneity and stability in rubber compounds produced by mixer line 4 using a 10 by 10 study approach
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Date
2025-08-08
Authors
Nur Farah Liyana binti Mohd Fauzi
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Abstract
The mixing process in rubber compounding plays a critical role in ensuring uniformity and stable performance of tire components, particularly tire tread and sidewall compounds. This study uses a 10 by 10 study approach, a SPC method where 1 sample is taken from each of 10 consecutive batches to assess mixing homogeneity and long-term stability of rubber compounds under fixed parameters and formulations. The methodology includes the testing of hardness, rebound resilience, density, tensile, Mooney viscosity and curing behavior to assess batch-to-batch variability. The hardness of tread compound ranged from 59.8 to 64.4 Shore A and sidewall from 48.4 to 50.9 Shore A, falling within specified limits. Rebound resilience for tread ranged from 24.2 to 26.7% and sidewall from 47.0 to 52.4%, within the specified range. Density for tread was between 1.154 and 1.164 g/cm³, and for sidewall between 1.112 and 1.129 g/cm³, both complying with specifications. Tensile strength of tread ranged from 11.35 to 12.25 MPa and sidewall from 7.55 to 8.10 MPa, following the specifications. Mooney viscosity for tread ranged from 67.9 to 69.5 MU and sidewall from 64.1 to 66.7 MU, both within the acceptable range. Curing behaviour, including scorch time (T10), optimum cure time (T90) and maximum torque (MH), remained within specification for both lots, indicating stable vulcanization. The main findings reveal that most batches exhibit good homogeneity and meet industrial specifications. This study confirms that the 10 by 10 approach is effective for ensuring process consistency, production efficiency and product quality in rubber compounding.