Cure kinetics and mechanical properties of carbonized chicken feather reinforced styrene butadiene rubber composites

Polymers are part and parcel of our life and society due to the immense applications resulting from their unique properties. High performing products based on bio feed stocks have gained special attention compared to non‐renewable resources. In the present research work, carbon black (CCF) prepared from waste chicken feathers has been used as reinforcement in styrene butadiene rubber (SBR). Cure kinetics of SBR‐CCF composites and their mechanical properties have been evaluated with respect to loading of filler and concentration of dicumyl peroxide crosslinking agent. The cure reaction of all compounds obeys first order kinetics and the rate constants increase with filler loading as well as temperature. A decrease in energy of activation of cure has been noted with increase of loading of CCF filler, which assists for an increase in the rate of production of articles using the filled SBR compounds. The improvement in tensile properties with CCF has been supported by the fractography of the composites and by the crosslink density values obtained using equilibrium swelling method. The performance of the developed composites points to their applications in the area of car‐tire industry, tread rubber sector and structural applications such as drive and shaft couplings.