Assessment of Graphene Oxide and Nanoclay Based Hybrid Filler in Chlorobutyl-Natural Rubber Blend for Advanced Gas Barrier Applications

Nanomaterials have engaged response from the scientific world in recent decades due to their exceptional physical and chemical properties counter to their bulk. They have been widely used in a polymer matrix to improve mechanical, thermal, barrier, electronic and chemical properties. In rubber nanocomposites, nanofillers dispersion and the interfacial adhesion between polymer and fillers influences the composites factual properties. In the present work, a comparison of the hybrid effects of carbon black with two different nanofillers (graphene oxide and nanoclay) was studied. The 70/30 composition of chlorobutyl rubber/natural rubber elastomer blend was taken as per the blend composition optimized from our previous studies. The hybrid effects of graphene oxide and nanoclay in dispersing the nanofillers were studied mainly by analyzing nanocomposite barrier properties. The results confirm that the combined effect of carbon black with graphene oxide and nanoclay could create hybrid effects in decreasing the gas permeability. The prepared nanocomposites which partially replace the expensive chlorobutyl rubber can be used for tyre inner liner application. Additionally, the reduction in the amount of carbon black in the nanocomposite can be an added advantage of considering the environmental and economic factors.