Reinforced Rubber and Their Composites

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 December 2023) | Viewed by 3650

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Science & Industrial Technology, Prince of Songkla University, Surat Thai Campus, Thailand
Interests: natural rubber science and technology; rubber composites; Thermoplastic Natural Rubber (TPNR); chemical modification of natural rubber

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Reinforcement of rubber by solid fillers to form rubber composites is a major concern in rubber technology as the final performance of rubber products largely depends on the ingredients used for rubber compounding. Typically, reinforcing fillers modify stress–strain behaviors (i.e., modulus and tensile strength), mechanical properties (such as tear strength, abrasion resistance, and hardness), and dynamic, electrical, and thermal properties, while maintaining the inherent flexibility and elasticity of rubber materials. Additionally, the distribution and dispersion of compounding ingredients in rubber matrix is crucial to obtain higher-quality rubber composites with quality performances in target industrial applications. Moreover, the compatibility between rubber and reinforcing agents is another major concern in the reinforcement of rubber materials, which mainly depends on the interactions to promote low interfacial tension with high interfacial adhesion at the rubber–filler particle interfaces. High compatibility between these two phases can be achieved through a variety of routes of structural and chemical modification of filler particles and/or rubber molecules.

Therefore, the preparation of reinforced rubber and its composites has become a procedure of utmost importance for rubber product development. Many industries are facing major challenges in the search for the optimum type and loading quantity of reinforcing fillers in rubbers together with understanding their mechanochemical and other related properties. This Special Issue, entitled “Reinforced Rubber and Its Composites”, will serve as an important platform for the development of rubber composites, including conventional composites and newly developed “nanocomposites” for the benefits of research and industrial communities. 

Dr. Charoen Nakason
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • reinforced natural and synthetic rubber composites
  • micro- and nanofillers as well as hybrid filler reinforced composites
  • reinforced thermoplastic elastomer materials and rubber blends
  • reinforced recycled rubber compounds and composites

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

22 pages, 2914 KiB  
Review
Elastomer Nanocomposites: Effect of Filler–Matrix and Filler–Filler Interactions
by Liliane Bokobza
Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2900; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132900 - 30 Jun 2023
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3102
Abstract
The reinforcement of elastomers is essential in the rubber industry in order to obtain the properties required for commercial applications. The addition of active fillers in an elastomer usually leads to an improvement in the mechanical properties such as the elastic modulus and [...] Read more.
The reinforcement of elastomers is essential in the rubber industry in order to obtain the properties required for commercial applications. The addition of active fillers in an elastomer usually leads to an improvement in the mechanical properties such as the elastic modulus and the rupture properties. Filled rubbers are also characterized by two specific behaviors related to energy dissipation known as the Payne and the Mullins effects. The Payne effect is related to non-linear viscoelastic behavior of the storage modulus while the Mullins or stress-softening effect is characterized by a lowering in the stress when the vulcanizate is extended a second time. Both effects are shown to strongly depend on the interfacial adhesion and filler dispersion. The basic mechanisms of reinforcement are first discussed in the case of conventional rubber composites filled with carbon black or silica usually present in the host matrix in the form of aggregates and agglomerates. The use of nanoscale fillers with isotropic or anisotropic morphologies is expected to yield much more improvement than that imparted by micron-scale fillers owing to the very large polymer–filler interface. This work reports some results obtained with three types of nanoparticles that can reinforce rubbery matrices: spherical, rod-shaped and layered fillers. Each type of particle is shown to impart to the host medium a specific reinforcement on account of its own structure and geometry. The novelty of this work is to emphasize the particular mechanical behavior of some systems filled with nanospherical particles such as in situ silica-filled poly(dimethylsiloxane) networks that display a strong polymer–filler interface and whose mechanical response is typical of double network elastomers. Additionally, the potential of carbon dots as a reinforcing filler for elastomeric materials is highlighted. Different results are reported on the reinforcement imparted by carbon nanotubes and graphenic materials that is far below their expected capability despite the development of various techniques intended to reduce particle aggregation and improve interfacial bonding with the host matrix. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinforced Rubber and Their Composites)
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