Effect of filler surface treatment on the physico-mechanical properties of filler/styrene-butadiene rubber nanocomposites
Amir A. Abdelsalam, Murat Demiral, M.M. Selim, Salwa H. El‐Sabbagh
Abstract
In the present work, the effects of various filler types and content on the characteristics and properties of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) were studied. This study prepared SBR filled with different fillers: kaolin, metakaolinite, synthetic zeolite Na-A, alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) nanoparticles, and hybrid filler (synthetic zeolite Na-A/Al 2 O 3 ). The silane coupling agent 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) was employed to treat the surface with fillers. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to determine the surface morphology. The results demonstrated that fillers improved the physicomechanical properties. Tensile strength and elongation at break (%) in composites containing synthetic zeolite Na-A increased by up to 158.6% at 3 phr and 100% at 2 phr, respectively. The results showed that the surface properties displayed by SEM analysis indicated a good distribution of filler particles. Also, the rubber compound’s resistance to organic solvents such as toluene was improved, as evidenced by swelling properties; the swelling ratio decreased by 17.5% while the crosslink density increased by 42.6% at 5 phr Al 2 O 3 /synthetic zeolite Na-A . The constants of the various hyperelastic models that explain the behavior of the composite materials under study were determined, and their predictions of the experimentally obtained stress-strain curves were compared. The study’s experimental findings will be helpful for several industrial uses, including an extender in water-based paints, rubber fillers, ceramic materials, paper fillers, and coating pigments.