Enhancement of Thermal and Tensile Properties of Natural Rubber by using Montmorillonite Nanocomposites

Abstract

The objective of this work is to enhance the thermal and tensile properties (tensile strength, elongation at break and modulus) of natural rubber (NR) by converting it into new nanocomposite natural rubber (nano-NR) . Montmorillonite (MMT) modification with fatty amides (FAs) as surfactants vegetarian organic was used as an additive to NR to improve it‘s characteristics. For the sake of comparison nano-NR was produced using the conventional procedure of Dodecyl ammonium chloride (DDA) as surfactants petroleum organic ( DDA-MMT). 1 to 5 part per hundred rubber (phr) of FAs-MMT and DDA-MMT was used. The nano-NR was synthesized by melt-blending of the FAs-MMT and NR. Fatty amides (FAs), which were synthesized from palm oil, have been used as organic surfactant and the clay modification layer distance increases from 1.21 to 2.65 nm. The nano-NR was then characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and tensile properties measurement . The XRD ,TEM and TGA results confirmed the production of nano-NR, they show higher thermal stability and observed that the results of a device tensile reinforcement of tensile properties in comparison with those of the pure NR,micro-NR and nano-NR based on DDA. The optimum phr for FAs-MMT and DDA -MMT is found to be 3 and 2 respectively. The use of FAs reduced the dependence on petroleum-based surfactants. In addition to renewable resources, this nano-NR are considered as environmentally friendly. The use FAs-MMT with synthetic rubber is recommended for further research.