Enhanced compatibility, morphology, rheological and mechanical properties of carboxylated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber/chloroprene rubber/graphene nanocomposites: effect of compatibilizer and graphene content

Elastomeric nanocomposites were prepared from carboxylated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber/chloroprene rubber (XNBR/CR), graphene and a glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-grafted XNBR (XNBR-g-GMA) compatibilizer by using a two-roll mill. The effect of graphene and XNBR-g-GMA compatibilizer on curing characteristics, rheological and mechanical properties and morphology of the nanocomposites was investigated. The curing properties and the morphology of the nanocomposites were studied by rheometry, SEM and TEM, respectively. The results of rheometry showed that by adding the XNBR-g-GMA compatibilizer and increasing the graphene content, the scorch time and optimum curing time decreased, but the torque increased, while the curing time increased with increasing CR percentage in the blend. Also, the results of DMTA tests showed that by adding the XNBR-g-GMA compatibilizer, there was compatibility between CR and XNBR and the dispersion of graphene in the XNBR/CR matrix was improved. This phenomenon was confirmed by direct observation of exfoliated graphene nanosheets by TEM. Also, the addition of XNBR-g-GMA and the increase of graphene content in the XNBR/CR matrix caused the fracture surface of the samples to be roughened and the size of dispersed phase (CR) in the XNBR matrix becomes smaller. The results of mechanical properties showed that the addition of the XNBR-g-GMA and increasing the graphene content resulted in increased hardness, fatigue strength, tensile strength, modulus and elongation-at-break.