Modernization of the structure of rubber vulcanizates for agricultural machinery

The article presents the results of the analysis of the rubber compound used in the production of tires for heavy agricultural machinery. The studies were conducted to improve the reliability of the machines and increase their period of repair-free operation in the field. The structure of the elastomer matrix of the vulca-nizates was studied before and after straining the rubber compound using electron microscopy. The monolithicity of the vulcanizates and their physical and mechanical properties were assessed on a ZwickRoell tensile testing machine in a climatic chamber, in accordance with GOST. It is noted that the additional technological operation of "straining" made it possible to obtain a reliably significant increase in the characteristics of the physical and mechanical properties (elastic modulus at 300% elongation - by 1.8 MPa, tensile strength - by 2.9 MPa, relative elongation - by 113.6%) of the experimental samples, to increase the monolithicity of the rubber mass and the density of the elastomer matrix, which has a positive effect on the quality of tires for transport machines used in the agro-industrial complex.