Natural rubber-clay nanocomposites properties

The effect of polymer-filler interaction on solvent swelling and dynamic mechanical properties of the sol-gel-derived acrylic rubber (ACM)/silica, epoxi-dized natural rubber (ENR)/silica, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/silica hybrid nanocomposites was described by Bandyopadhyay et al. [27]. Theoretical delineation of the reinforcing mechanism of polymer-layered silicate nanocomposites has been attempted by some authors while studying the micromechanics of the intercalated or exfoliated PNCs [28-31]. Wu et al. [32] verified the modulus reinforcement of rubber/clay nanocomposites using composite theories based on Guth, Halpin-Tsai, and the modified Halpin-Tsai equations. On introduction of a modulus reduction factor (MRF) for the platelet-like fillers, the predicted moduli were found to be closer to the experimental measurements. 

Compared to the vast literature on most of the thermoplastic or thermosetting polymer-clay nanocomposites, reports of rubber-clay nanocomposites are much more limited. Much more research is needed to understand the complex nature of these nanocomposites and to identify the factors that have the most significant influence on their physical, mechanical, thermal, barrier, and dynamic mechanical properties. The several examples of rubber-clay nanocomposite that have been covered in this chapter indicate that to date rubber nanocomposite research has largely concentrated on the natural rubber, ethylene propylene diene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, and nitrile rubbers. The main factors found to influence final properties were type of clay and its treatment, clay... 

Mondragon et al. [250] used unmodified and modified natural mbber latex (uNRL and mNRL) to prepare thermoplastic starch/natural rubber/montmorillonite type clay (TPS/NR/Na+-MMT) nanocomposites by twin-screw extrusion. Transmission electron microscopy showed that clay nanoparticles were preferentially intercalated into the mbber phase. Elastic modulus and tensile strength of TPS/NR blends were dramatically improved as a result of mbber modification. Properties of blends were almost unaffected by the dispersion of the clay except for the TPS/ mNR blend loading 2 % MMT. This was attributed to the exfoliation of the MMT. 

A. Jacob, P. Kurian and A. S. Aprem, Transport Properties of Natural Rubber Latex Layered Clay Nanocomposites, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2008, 108, 2623. 

Kong et al. [115] synthesized hy melt-intercalation silicone rubber (SR)/clay nanocomposites using synthetic Fe-montmoriUonite (Fe-MMT) and natural Na-MMT which were modified by cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide, surfactant. They obtained exfoliated and intercalated nanocomposites. With TGA and mechanical performance found that with the presence of iron significantiy increased the onset temperarnre of thermal degradation in SR/Fe-MMT nanocomposites. In addition, the thermal stability, gel fraction and mechanical property of SR/Fe-MMT were different from the SR/Na-MMT nanocomposites, so the iron not only in thermal degradation but also in the vulcanization process acted as an antioxidant and radicals trap. A new flame-retardant system, SR/Fe-OMT based on an EVA matrix, was examined Fang et al. [ 116]. The experimental analyses showed that the exfoliated Fe-OMT had better dispersion in the EVA matrix than Na-OMT, and it was more effective in improving... 

This technique has found the following applications in addition to those discussed in Sections 10.1 (resin cure studies on phenol urethane compositions) [65], 12.2 (photopolymer studies [66-68]), and 13.3 (phase transitions in PE) [66], Chapter 15 (viscoelastic and rheological properties), and Section 16.4 (heat deflection temperatures) epoxy resin-amine system [67], cured acrylate-terminated unsaturated copolymers [68], PE and PP foam [69], ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymers [70], natural rubbers [71, 72], polyester-based clear coat resins [73], polyvinyl esters and unsaturated polyester resins [74], polyimide-clay nanocomposites [75], polyether sulfone-styrene-acrylonitrile, PS-polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) blends and PS-polytetrafluoroethylene PMMA copolymers [76], cyanate ester resin-carbon fibre composites [77], polycyanate epoxy resins [78], and styrenic copolymers [79]. 

An alternative method of producing natural rubber based clay reinforced nanocomposites with outstanding properties is by using a spray drying technique. In this technique the siUcate layers of clay will be well dispersed in an irradiated polymer latex and this mixture will be sprayed through hot air to produce micrometre-sized liquid droplets. When the solvent is fully evaporated, micrometre-sized polymer spheres with delaminated clay silicate layers on their surface are produced. These spheres can later be melt blended with natural rubber to produce ternary nanocomposites. It is noteworthy that exfoliation of nanofillers can still be achieved without modification of the nanofiller surface, thus the expensive modification process can be eliminated. 

NR composites and nanocomposites can be fabricated by three main techniques, namely latex compounding, solution mixing and melt blending. A variety of nanofillers, such as carbon black, silica, carbon nanotubes, graphene, calcium carbonate, organomodified clay, reclaimed rubber powder, recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) powder, cellulose whiskers, starch nanocrystals, etc. have been used to reinforce NR composites and nanocomposites over the past two decades. In this chapter, we discuss the preparation and properties of NR composites and nanocomposites from the viewpoint of nanofillers. We divide nanofillers into four different types conventional fillers, natural fillers, metal or compound fillers and hybrid fillers, and the following discussion is based on this classification. 

Polymer nanocomposites are one of the highly discussed research topics in recent time. Yehia et al. reported the preparation and the properties of different nanoclays based on sodium montmoriUonite (bentonite) and some organic amines of varying chain lengths (dodecylamine, hexadecylamine and octadecylamine) beside amine-terminated butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer (ATBN) The nanocomposite clays were incorporated in natural and synthetic rubbers (NR, SBR and... 

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