ASSIGNMENT 2 :

Rubber and polymer is one the material that promising a good and applicable usage in
pavement technology as asphalt modifier or aggregate replacement. Types of rubber
in commercial includes, crumb rubber, natural rubber, cup lamp etc. Due to the
interest in this technology, please do some literature on these following topics:

i. Type of rubber

1. Natural Rubber

It can be found and reproduce from a rubber trees in the form of latex. Latex is milky
fluid oozing (dropping) from vertical grooves having an upward inclination cut
around the trunk of the rubber tree. The rubber trees mostly grow in hot, moist climate
such as Malaysia, Venezuela and Mexico. Crude rubber is obtained by coagulation of
latex with alcohol, alum or lime.

2. Synthetic Rubber

Recently rubber is produced on a large scale artificially from acetylene gas under
trade names of Neoprene, Choroprene, Butyl. Artificial rubbers possess certain
properties that are hard to be achieved with natural rubber such as resistance to acids
particularly to grease, kerosene and petroleum.

ii. Physical, mechanical and chemical properties of the rubber material

 Physical properties of rubber:

 Specific gravity - Specific gravity is the ratio of a material's weight to the

weight of an equal volume of water at a particular temperature. This property
enables the chemists to identify compounds. It is important for part designers
and technical buyers to be aware that rubber with a low specific gravity
provides more square inches per pound of stock. By contrast, those with a
higher specific gravity have advantages in molding consistency.
  Elongation - Elongation is defined as the percentage increase, or strain, in the
original length of a rubber sample with the application of a tensile force, or
stress. Certain elastomers tend to stretch more compared to others. Natural
rubber, for instance, can stretch up to 700% prior to reaching its ultimate
elongation, which causes it to break. However, fluoroelastomers can only
withstand 300% elongation.
 Tensile modulus - Tensile modulus is the stress or force required for
producing a strain or an elongation percentage in a rubber sample. Harder
rubber usually has a higher tensile modulus, making it more resilient.
 Tensile strength - Tensile strength is the amount of force needed to tear apart
a rubber specimen until it breaks. It is also known as ultimate tensile strength,
and is measured in terms of megapascals or pounds per square inch (psi)
according to ASTM D412. The tensile strength is a key factor for designers
and buyers as it signifies the point of failure resulting from the stretching of
rubber.
 Hardness - The modified hardness is measured in terms of of durometer
(duro)on a Shore scale. Every rubber have different hardness base on their
function and the product make it. As example: pencil eraser has a hardness of
40 duro and harder rubber that used in hockey pucks, has 90 duro hardness.

 Mechanical properties of rubber:

 Low compression set - Natural or “live rubber,” in contrast to other rubbers,

has a very low lowest compression set. In fact, it has one of the lowest
compression sets of any elastomer, synthetic or otherwise. Due to this trait
the elastomer is commonly used as a gasket and seal.
 Great resilience and abrasion resistance - Resilience is an elastomer ability to
rebound after temporary deformation. Abrasion resistance indicates an
elastomer ability to resist constant contact and rubbing from an abrasive
substance. Natural rubber excels in both abilities, making it an ideal material
for dynamic gaskets and seals.
  High tensile strength and tear resistance - The calculation of tensile strength
and tear resistance depends upon the specific hardness of the natural rubber
material. Generally, this natural flexible elastomer has a high tensile strength,
meaning it can be stretched significantly without snapping. It also has
excellent tear resistance, which is the ability to remain intact when there is a
rupture in the material.
 Good surface friction - Pure gum rubber has a high amount of surface friction
and is almost sticky to the touch. Surface friction provides the material with a
good grip. The grip provided by this rubber is why it is used in applications
where traction is crucial, as in tires and shoes.
 Good shock absorption - As with most elastomer, natural or “live rubber”
possesses a characteristic shock absorbing molecular structure. This property
is utilized in various applications that require impact absorption, sound
insulation or vibration reduction. For example, modern music studios make
extensive use of natural rubber material for the purposes of sound insulation.

 Chemical properties of the rubber material

 Rubber is water repellent and resistant to alkalies and weak acids. Rubber's
elasticity, toughness, impermeability, adhesiveness, and electrical resistance
make it useful as an adhesive, a coating composition, a fiber, a molding
compound, and an electrical insulator. In general, synthetic rubber has the
following advantages over natural rubber: better aging and weathering, more
resistance to oil, solvents, oxygen, ozone, and certain chemicals, and
resilience over a wider temperature range. The advantages of natural rubber
are less build up of heat from flexing and greater resistance to tearing when
hot.
ii. Function of rubber in asphaltic concrete

There are some function that have been useful when mixing it with asphalt concrete.
The use of rubber, which is the recycled tire rubber, as an additive in hot mix asphalt
mixture is considered as a sustainable construction method. Next, due to its elastic
nature, crumb rubber can be used in road construction to improve deformation
resistance. That crumb rubber increases overall strength and reduces surface rutting. It
has been known to improve the rheological properties at low and high temperatures
and provides a lifespan that is up to three times longer than conventional asphalt.
There are also other function and reasons why rubber is useful in asphaltic concrete
for both highways and railways, such as decreasing thermal instability, increasing
resistance to low-temperature cracking, reduction of noise levels, and reduction of
vibrations generated by heavy axle loads.

iii. Method of mixing into asphalt or asphaltic concrete

(Factors / parameters control in mixing process)

There are two methods of classifying the preparation of a mixture of rubber in asphalt
mixture. The method is a method of dry mix and wet mix method. In general, the
method of dry mixture using a rubber or rubber powder grains is larger than those
used in the method of wet mix. Dry mix method of using rubber in asphalt mixture is
more functional role in manipulating the aggregate mix. Method of wet mix is more
functional toward changing the nature of the asphalt mixture. Both of these processes
are commonly used in the concrete mix asphalt and capable of changing the
characteristics of the overall mix.