Modification of a nitrile-phenolic bonding agent by addition of an interfacial agent: effect on the practical adhesion between nitrile rubber and metal

—The mechanism of vulcanization bonding of a nitrile rubber (NBR) elastomer to metal with a single-coat nitrile-phenolic bonding agent is discussed. A nitrile-phenolic bonding agent consisting of NBR, phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin, and vulcanizing agents was modified with an interfacial agent (p-cresol formaldehyde resin) and the effect of interfacial agent addition on the practical adhesion between metal and the NBR elastomer after vulcanization was investigated. The adhesion strength was measured in terms of the metal-to-NBR elastomer peel strength using the bonding agent. The addition of p-cresol formaldehyde (PCF) resin to the bonding agent with a proportionate reduction of PF resin initially improved the peel strength; a maximum was reached at about 20% PCF content and then decreased with a further increase in the PCF content. The improvement in peel strength produced by the addition of PCF resin is attributed to the increased chemical bonding between NBR and the phenolic resin. The drop in peel strength above 20% PCF content is explained by the increased diffusion of the bonding agent into the NBR elastomer, away from the bond line, leading to a starved glue line. The mechanism for the optimum performance at about 20% PCF resin content is believed to be due to the balance of diffusion and chemical crosslinking.