Abstract
This study investigates the viability of industrial hempseed oil as a sustainable extender oil in rubber compounding, addressing the urgent demand for alternatives to petroleum-based oils due to regulatory pressures on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). We employed automated neural networks to analyze the physical and mechanical properties of rubber composites containing industrial hempseed oil, comparing them with six vegetable oils and three petroleum-based oils at extender oil concentrations from 0 to 30 phr. The results revealed that compounds with 20 phr of industrial hempseed oil and raw soybean oil exhibited the highest cure rate index values of 64.32 1/min. Rubber samples with industrial hempseed oil showed a significant 18% reduction in hardness compared to conventional oils, with the softest rubber measuring 40.5 Shore A hardness at 30 phr. Additionally, energy consumption during mixing was decreased by up to 12% for vegetable oil samples compared to mineral oils, enhancing processing efficiency. The neural network approach yielded more accurate predictions of the cure rate index, Shore A hardness, and power consumption during rubber mixing, with a validation performance exceeding 99.2%. Sensitivity analysis identified key factors, including oil content and surface tension, influencing rubber hardness. Overall, this study underscores the potential of industrial hempseed oil as an effective, eco-friendly substitute for conventional mineral oils, contributing to more sustainable practices in the rubber industry.