Study on the Oil Resistance, Morphological and Dynamic Mechanical Properties, Flame Retardance of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer and Ethylene Propylene Rubber Compounds

In this experiment, blends of ethylene vinyl acetate rubber (EVM) with a vinyl acetate (VA) content greater than 40 wt% and ethylene propylene rubber (EPM) were prepared by mechanical mixing; a number of parameters of the blends, including oil resistance, morphological and dynamic mechanical properties and flame retardancy, were subsequently measured. In the 100 degrees C oil resistance test, both the ammonium polyphosphate/dipentaerythritol/expandable graphite (APP/DPER/EG) and aluminum hydroxide (ATH) flame retardant systems showed an increase in volume change with increasing EPM content. For the ATH system, the dispersion shape was coarse and aggregation was observed. The results of a dynamic mechanical test showed slightly higher E' and E'' for the APP/DPER/EG flame retardant system when compared to the single ATH system. For both the APP/DPER/EG and ATH systems, the limited oxygen index (LOI) tests performed at increasing content of EPM showed a LOI value higher than 30, indicating excellent flame resistance.