Rubber Microscopy

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Abstract
Rubber microscopy was limited in its beginning primarily to the study of the filler materials dispersed in the rubber, to a surveillance of the fineness of these materials, as well as to the investigation of articles made of rubber for the purpose of elucidating technological questions which had to do with structure and preparation or manufacture. In the last few decades considerable improvement in techniques of microscopical investigations have given a new impetus to rubber microscopy so that, in addition to the above named applications, new goals have become possible. Thus today with the aid of electron microscopy, interference microscopy, and also spectrophotometric and polarization optical measurement procedures applied to microscopic objects one can designate rubber microscopy as a valuable aid in the investigation of the microstructure of rubber materials of all kinds. The technology of preparing specimens for electron microscopy has been particularly helpful to produce knowledge concerning the flow phenomena in colloidal situations which take place when carbon black is mixed into the rubber and which lead to the formation of a special network consisting of carbon black and rubber. In addition to this, there was derived from the logical and practical application of the above mentioned investigative procedures an improvement in analytical methods whereby only small amounts of materials are needed for the investigation of mixes or compounds and vulcanizates. Thus today one can name three principal application areas for rubber microscopy: 1. The study of the microstructure of rubber compounds and vulcanizates; 2. The analytical investigation of compounds and vulcanizates; 3. The examination of articles made of rubber in order to clarify their structure as well as to solve technological problems.

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