Thermal, mechanical and chemical properties of nano clay reinforced elastomers

• Main Author: Lee, Huay San.
• Other Authors: Marc Jean Medard Abadie
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Nanostructured materials
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/48393
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Rubber/clay nanocomposite has great potential for novel applications because of the enhancement capability to the base polymer with the addition of a small amount of filler. This is due to the larger interfacial areas per volume, which in return gives a greater polymer/filler interaction as compared to micro-filler. Nanocomposites of elastomers reinforced with nanoclays were prepared, and their mechanical and thermal properties were investigated. Different loadings of modified nanoclays (1, 2, 3 and 5wt%) were reinforced into the elastomers (HSN, Alfas and Viton) mixing at temperatures 50, 75 and 95°C, to compare their enhancement properties. In addition, both modified and unmodified nanoclays were incorporated into the elastomers to compare their enhancement performance. A better mechanical enhancement of Young’s Modulus is observed in modified nanoclay, as compared to unmodified nanoclay. With the increasing nanoclay loading, mechanical properties improved. But this does not necessary correlates to thermal stability. Overall, HSN gives the best thermal enhancement and mechanical reinforcement properties as compared to Aflas and Viton due to its better interfacial interaction with the nanoclay. In conclusion, this report describes promising results in reinforcing elastomers, especially when Hydrogenated Nitrile Butadiene Rubber is reinforced with modified nanoclay.