This study presents data on the use of shungite ore (the Bakyrchik deposit, Kazakhstan) and its concentrate as fillers in elastomer composites based on nitrile butadiene rubber. In addition to carbon, these shungite materials contain oxides of Si, Fe, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, and Al. The shungite concentrate was obtained through a flotation process involving five stages. The chemical composition analysis of these natural fillers revealed that during flotation, the carbon content increased 3.5 times (from 11.0 wt% to 39.0 wt%), while the silicon oxide content decreased threefold (from 49.4 wt% to 13.6 wt%). The contents of oxides of K, Ca, Ti, Mn, and Al decreased by less than 1%, and iron oxide content increased by 40% (from 6.7 wt% to 9.4 wt%). The study explored the impact of partial or full replacement of carbon black (CB) of P 324 grade with the shungite ore (ShO) and the shungite concentrate (ShC) on the vulcanization process and the physical–mechanical properties of the rubber. It was found that replacing CB with ShO and ShC reduces Mooney viscosity ML (1 + 4) 100 °C of the rubber compounds by up to 29% compared to the standard CB-filled sample. The use of the shungite fillers also increased scorch time (t_s) by up to 36% and cure time (t₉₀) by up to 35%. The carbon content in the shungite fillers had little influence on these parameters. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that replacing 5–10 wt% of CB with ShO or ShC improves the tensile strength of the rubber. The results of the flotation enrichment process enable the assessment of how these shungite fillers affect the properties of the composites for producing rubbers with specific characteristics. It was also found that substituting CB with ShO or ShC does not significantly affect the rubber’s resistance to standard oil-based media. The findings indicate that Kazakhstan’s shungite materials can be used as fillers in rubber to partially replace CB.

Carbon-enriched concentrates based on shungite ore from rare-metal mining waste were obtained, and their effect on the properties of oil- and fuel-resistant carbon-black-filled rubber used for the production of pressure hoses was investigated. The shungite concentrates were produced by flotation followed by acid activation. A blend of nitrile butadiene rubber and butadiene–α-methylstyrene rubber was used as the elastomeric base. Carbon black was partially replaced with shungite fillers (5–15 phr). The presence of shungite was found to prolong both the scorch time and the optimum cure time of the rubber compounds, likely due to oxide impurities that interfere with the vulcanization activation process. Replacing carbon black with shungite ore and its flotation concentrate in the rubber formulations resulted in a decrease in Mooney viscosity compared to the samples without shungite fillers. Acid-activated shungite concentrate at contents above 5 phr increases the viscosity of the rubber compound. It was found that acid-activated shungite concentrate provides high tensile strength and excellent thermo-oxidative stability of the rubber, whereas the use of shungite ore above 5 phr reduces the tensile strength and causes significant changes in tensile properties upon thermo-oxidation. When exposed in oil, rubbers containing shungite fillers retain their mechanical properties, with the best resistance in hydrocarbon media observed for the rubber filled with acid-activated shungite concentrate.

The study investigates the influence of a hybrid filler system based on carbon black, silica (SiO₂) and shungite from the Bakyrchik deposit on the curing behavior of rubber compounds as well as on the physical–mechanical properties and thermal stability of vulcanizates based on a blend of butadiene-alpha-methylstyrene and isoprene rubbers. The morphology and elemental composition of shungite were examined using SEM-EDS analysis. Thermogravimetric analysis of shungite was also performed. The introduction of shungite led to a decrease in Mooney viscosity and an increase in scorch time. Rubber composites containing 10–20 phr (parts per hundred rubber) of shungite exhibited a satisfactory balance between the processing properties of the rubber compounds and the physical–mechanical properties of the vulcanizates (tensile strength, elongation at break, and rebound resiliency), which makes them promising for practical application. When 10 phr of shungite was added, the tensile strength of the rubber composites after thermal aging remained at the level of the control sample, while the changes in elongation at break, rebound resilience, and hardness were less pronounced than in the control.