Green Approaches for Functionalized Silica-Based Natural Rubber Nanocomposites Using Eco-friendly Sodium Alginate Biopolymers for Superior Static and Dynamic Behaviors
Abhay Kumar, Debdipta Basu, Suchismita Sahoo, Sipra Khanra, Nikhil Kumar, Marcial Gonzalez, Santanu Chattopadhyay
Abstract
In elastomer-based materials, the effect of nanofillers holds the utmost significance for preparing high-performance materials. This work introduces eco-friendly sodium alginate (NaAlg) biopolymers functionalized by silica-based natural rubber nanocomposites (ModSi10) to achieve superior chemical and mechanical properties. The structure–property relationship of ModSi10 exhibits excellent physicomechanical properties, with an increase in tensile strength by 7% and elongation at break by 11% and a 1.9% lower hysteresis loss than the commercially practiced silica–silane system. ModSi10 reveals homogeneous dispersion with an average particle size of 9 nm of spherical filler geometry, evidenced through small-angle X-ray scattering and scanning electron microscopy. The nanocomposite displays a lower Payne effect by 9%, good cure properties, low flocculation rate, and low Mullins softening, resulting in superior dynamic properties. The sustainable biopolymer-modified nanocomposite finds a remedy to the toxicological effect of silanes generally preferred in polymer product formulation. This work has profound implications for large-scale industrial applications of elastomer nanocomposites.