Continuous compounding

EPDM elastomers are generally used in combination with organic or inorganic fillers whose structure makes it possible to strike an optimal balance between productivity imperatives and the characteristics of finished items. It is in fact known that the grades of carbon black (the substance most commonly used in the rubber industry) with the smallest particle sizes have the strongest reinforcing effect, because they are composed of aggregates with greater surface area and porosity. These aggregates in turn coalesce to form larger structures called agglomerates, which must therefore be disassociated in order to optimally disperse the carbon black in a polymer formulation (or vice versa). Different carbon black grades are characterised by different specific energies and dispersion times: greater for those with higher reinforcing potential, and less for the others.