Poly(vinyl chloride)/nitrile butadiene rubber (PVC/NBR) alloys were melt-mixed using a Brabender Plasticorder at and 50？rpm rotor speed. Alloys obtained by melt mixing from PVC and NBR were formulated with wood-flour- (WF-) based olive residue, a natural byproduct from olive oil extraction industry. WF was progressively increased from 0 to 30？phr. The effects of WF loadings on the tensile properties of the fabricated samples were inspected. The torque rheometry, which is an indirect indication of the melt strength, is reported. The pattern of water uptake for the composites was checked as a function WF loading. The fracture mode and the quality of bonding of the alloy with and without filler are studied using electron scanning microscope (SEM). 1. Introduction Polymer alloys continue to represent a field of intensive research. One of the most common blends in the modern sense is PVC with NBR [1, 2]. Due to the miscible nature of PVC/NBR blend as evidenced from single glass transition the soft blend of PVC/NBR can be categorized as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and more specifically as a melt processable rubber (MPR) [3–5]. Fillers are incorporated mainly to improve service properties or to reduce material cost depending on the source of filler, type of filler, method of preparation, and treatment. Very large quantities of the natural lignocelluloses polymers are produced annually as agrowastes. A very small amount is used as antioxidants or fillers in polymers. The rest is used almost as fuel to generate energy. The field of wood-based agrowastes polymer composites is extensively reviewed in the open literature [5–8]. Recently, we report the effect of virgin olive pomace on the flexural and thermal performance of toughened PVC composites [9]. We found that the virgin olive pomace enhanced the flexural properties to a certain extent, which was due to the hydrogen bond formation, while the thermal stability was improved due to the phenolic hydroxyl group within the lignocellulosic powder. In this work, the effect of wood-flour-based olive residue on the tensile properties, water absorption and morphology of PVC/NBR alloys are reported in the current investigation. 2. Experimental 2.1. Materials and Formulation Acrylonitrile nitrile rubber with 34% acrylo content was supplied by Bayer AG, Germany. Suspension PVC grade in powder form with a -value of 67 was supplied by SABIC of Saudi Arabia and stabilized with lead salt. Wood-flour-based agrowastes with particle size equal or less than 45？μm were used as received. The WF-based olive mill residue has been
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