IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF IIR/CR RUBBER BLEND ORGANOCLAY NANOCOMPOSITES

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effects of organoclay loading and chloroprene rubber (CR) concentration on the cure characteristics, microstructure, and mechanical and rheological properties of isobutylene–isoprene rubber (IIR)/CR blend were investigated. Different compositions of CR (10, 20, and 40 wt%) with Cloisite15A as organo modified nanoclay (1, 3, 5, and 7 wt%) were used for blends by a two-roll mill. Samples were vulcanized at 175 °C using a hot press. The cure and scorch times and also the maximum torque of the composites increased with the incorporation of organoclay. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation at break, modulus (100%, 200%, and 300%), and resilience improved with increasing nanoclay loading. The structure of the nanocomposites was characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XRD results of nanocomposites indicated that the intercalation of polymer chains into the clay gallery was deduced from increasing the interlayer distance of silicate layers. TEM and SEM also directly confirmed XRD results.