Rubber nanocomposites polymer-filler interactions

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. 

Abstract This chapter describes the influence of three-dimensional nanofillers used in elastomers on the nonlinear viscoelastic properties. In particular, this part focuses and investigates the most important three-dimensional nanoparticles, which are used to produce rubber nanocomposites. The rheological and the dynamic mechanical properties of elastomeric polymers, reinforced with spherical nanoparticles, like POSS, titanium dioxide and nanosdica, were described. These (3D) nanofillers in are used polymeric matrices, to create new, improved rubber nanocomposites, and these affect many of the system s parameters (mechanical, chemical, physical) in comparison with conventional composites. The distribution of the nanosized fillers and interaction between nanofUler-nanofiUer and nanofiller-matrix, in nanocomposite systems, is crucial for understanding their behavior under dynamic-mechanical conditions. 

Micron-sized fillers, such as glass fibers, carbonfibers, carbon black, talc, and micronsized silica particles have been considered as conventional fillers. Polymer composites filled with conventional fillers have been widely investigated by both academic and industrial researchers. A wide spectrum of archival reports is available on how these fillers impact the properties. As expected, various fundamental issues of interest to nanocomposites research, such as the state of filler dispersion, filler-matrix interactions, and processing methods, have already been widely analyzed and documented in the context of conventional composites, especially those of carbon black and silica-filled rubber compounds [16], It is worth mentioning that carbon black (CB) could not be considered as a nanofiller. There appears to be a general tendency in contemporary literature to designate CB as a nanofiller - apparently derived from... 

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