The Structure, Properties and Application of NR/BR/OMMT Nanocomposites

Almost completely exfoliated natural rubber/butadiene rubber/organophilic montmorillonite (NR/BR/OMMT) nanocomposites were successfully prepared by mechanical blending. The optimal type of OMMT was carefully selected, using characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the mechanical properties of composites, from three NR/BR/OMMT composites with different kinds of OMMT. The almost completely exfoliated NR/BR/OMMT nanocomposites were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and XRD. Then a series of NR/BR/OMMT (the optimal organoclay) nanocomposites with various amounts of OMMT were prepared and characterized. The results showed the tensile strength and tear strength of nanocomposite with only 3 parts per hundreds of rubber (phr) of clay were improved by about 90.8 and 54.0% in comparison with the pure NR/BR, respectively; and the stress relaxation behavior showed the equilibrium stress was higher than that of the pure sample. The increase of the cure rate index (VC) and reduction of the optimum time ( T90) indicated the efficiency of vulcanization was improved. The addition of OMMT also improved the oil resistance of the NR/BR composite; however, the thermal stability was not changed significantly. The outstanding performance of these tire sidewall materials with OMMT reinforcement means that they are good prospects for application in the tire industry.