Fundamentals of Rubber Compounding

Michael A. Fath has 43 years rubber industry experience in R&D, commercial development and management positions with B.F. Goodrich, Goodyear, Monsanto, and Polysar. He is the founder of Elastomer Technology, Inc., a consulting company to the rubber industry. He has broad experience in rubber compounding, primarily in specialty and non-tire applications. At Monsanto, he was a co-inventor of the TPE composition now marketed commercially as Santoprene Thermoplastic Rubber and was involved in the early commercialization of Santoprene and Geolast TPE’s. He earned his B.S. degree in chemistry and M.S. degree in physical chemistry from Kent State University.

John T. Byers has 43 years experience in technical positions with six different companies, including: Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., Ashland Chemical Co., Wyrough & Loser, Inc., PPG Industries, Inc., Degussa Corp., and Rubber World Magazine. In the course of those years he developed expertise in technical service, rubber materials & engineering, problem solving, product development, compounding and applications development for both tire and non-tire rubber applications. In 2000, he retired from Degussa and established Byers Rubber Consulting, Inc. In 2003, he became the part-time Technical Editor for Rubber World magazine. John has written, presented, and published numerous technical articles as well as several chapters in textbooks and rubber compounding courses. He has been a frequent lecturer on filler applications (carbon blacks, silicas & silanes, non-black fillers) in rubber compounding courses at several universities, the Rubber Division, and local rubber groups. He has also received two Best Paper Awards from the Rubber Division.