Abstract
The ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazole hexafluorophosphate (BmimPF6), was utilized to modify carbon black (CB) via microwave (MW) irradiation. The conditions for the preparation of the modified CB (m-CB) were optimized. The reinforceability of the m-CB in styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), butadiene rubber (BR) and nitrile rubber (NBR) composites were evaluated. The curing behaviour, morphology and tensile properties of the rubber/m-CB composites were studied and compared with those of composites filled with unmodified CB. Rubber/m-CB compounds showed a significant increase in the curing rate for a generated zinc complex with the alkylimidazoles. Compared with CB, m-CB exhibited a significantly improved reinforceability of the rubbers at lower filler loading, although the mechanical properties were changed slightly at higher filler loading. A possible mechanism was proposed, based on the molecular slippage theory in which the interfacial bonding, the filler loading and the chain flexibility of the rubber molecules were all considered.