2018, Keinänen, Pasi, Das, Amit, Vuorinen, Jyrki

Post-treatment removal of dispersion agents from carbon nanotube/rubber composites can greatly enhance the mechanical properties by increasing the filler–matrix interaction. In this study, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were dispersed in water by sonication and nonionic surfactant, octyl-phenol-ethoxylate was used as a dispersion agent. The dispersed MWNTs were incorporated in thermo-reactive acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) latex and nanocomposite films were prepared by solution casting. As a post-treatment, the surfactant was removed with acetone and films were dried in air. Dispersion quality of the colloid before casting was determined, and mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of the composites before and after the acetone post-treatment were studied. It was found that removal of dispersion agent increased the storage modulus of films between 160–300% in all samples. Relative enhancement was greater in samples with better dispersion quality, whereas thermal conductivity changed more in samples with smaller dispersion quality values. Electrical properties were not notably affected.

2012, Mousa, A., Heinrich, G., Kretzschmar, B., Wagenknecht, U., Das, A.

Poly(vinyl chloride)/nitrile butadiene rubber (PVC/NBR) alloys were melt-mixed using a Brabender Plasticorder at 180 °C and 50rpm rotor speed. Alloys obtained by melt mixing from PVC and NBR were formulated with wood-flour- (WF-) based olive residue, a natural byproduct from olive oil extraction industry. WF was progressively increased from 0 to 30phr. The effects of WF loadings on the tensile properties of the fabricated samples were inspected. The torque rheometry, which is an indirect indication of the melt strength, is reported. The pattern of water uptake for the composites was checked as a function WF loading. The fracture mode and the quality of bonding of the alloy with and without filler are studied using electron scanning microscope (SEM).