Physico-mechanical and dynamic mechanical studies of nanographite reinforced chlorobutyl nanocomposites

Abstract

Nanographite reinforced chlorobutyl elastomer (CIIR) nanocomposites were prepared. The dispersion of the nanographite in the CIIR matrix has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The effect of increasing nanographite loadings (2, 4, 6 and 8 phr) on mechanical properties like tensile strength, hardness, elongation at break and modulus (100, 200 and 300%) has been studied. The study shows increase in tensile strength, hardness and modulus and decrease in elongation at break with nanographite loading, which can be attributed towards better CIIR–nanographite interaction. The above explanation was again verified from bound rubber measurements. It shows increase in bound rubber contents with nanographite loading. Dynamic mechanical analysis was used to study their relaxation behaviour as a function of temperature (−100 to 100°C) at frequency 1 Hz and 1% strain. The effect of increasing nanographite loadings on glass transition temperature was marginal in all the composites, and Tg value was in the range of −10 to 10°C, which has been explained on the basis of relaxation dynamics of polymer chains in the vicinity of fillers. The effects of variation in nanographite loading and temperature on dynamic mechanical properties like loss tangent, storage and loss modulus have been reported. The effect of solvent (chloroform, benzene and tri-chloroethylene) on swelling properties at different periods of time (15, 30, 45 and 60 min) shows that the degree of swelling increases with time and decreases with concentration of nanographite loading.