Advancing mechanical performance in sustainable engineering: Synergistic effects of graphene oxide/nano‐silica hybrid nanofiller via latex coagulation in natural rubber composites

AbstractThis research investigates the utilization of a hybrid nanofiller comprising graphene oxide (GO) and amine‐modified nano silica in natural rubber matrix via the latex stage coagulation method. The resulting novel composite materials were characterized comprehensively for their static and dynamic mechanical properties. The hybrid nanofiller exhibited excellent dispersion within the rubber latex, facilitating the formation of a well‐interconnected network structure. The formed network resulted in remarkable improvements in tensile strength, elongation at break, and modulus of the composites. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the hybrid filler (GO/nano‐silica hybrid (GO/NS)) could effectively reinforce the rubber matrix by constraining the mobility of rubber chains, leading to increased stiffness and mechanical strength. In fact, the confinement effect of the nanofillers has been carefully evaluated from dynamic mechanical spectroscopy. The increased glass transition temperature of the rubber nanocomposites specifies the restricted segmental mobility of the rubber chains. Moreover, the hybrid composites displayed significantly low rolling resistance, particularly GO/NS 2 (31% reduction), indicating their potential application as tire treads for fuel‐efficient and green tire manufacturing. The mechanical and rolling resistance properties achieved in these composites can be attributed to the efficient dispersion of the GO/nano‐silica hybrid(GO/NS) nanofiller and the resulting network formation within the rubber matrix. Findings emphasized the composites' viability as sustainable and eco‐friendly tire materials, potential for enhanced fuel efficiency, and reduced environmental footprint in tire manufacturing technology.Highlights The hybrid nanofiller (GO/nano silica hybrid) exhibited excellent dispersion within the rubber latex, leading to the formation of a well‐interconnected network structure. The resulting network structure significantly improved the tensile strength, elongation at break, and modulus of the composite materials. Dynamic mechanical analysis demonstrated that the hybrid filler effectively reinforced the rubber matrix, increasing stiffness and mechanical strength by constraining the mobility of rubber chains. Our hybrid composites displayed a remarkable reduction in rolling resistance, particularly GO/NS2, with a 31% reduction, indicating their potential application as tire treads for fuel‐efficient and green tire manufacturing. The study emphasized the composites viability as sustainable and eco‐friendly tire materials, offering potential benefits for enhanced fuel efficiency and reduced environmental footprint in tire manufacturing technology.