Preparation of stearic acid/halloysite intercalation compound and their reinforcement for styrene butadiene rubber composite

• Published in: Journal of polymer research Vol. 29; no. 11
• Main Authors: Xiao, Kaiyuan, Zhang, Yinmin, Zhang, Yongfeng, Gong, Yanbing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.11.2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Butadiene; Chains; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Clathrate compounds; Crosslinked polymers; Crosslinking; Diffraction; Dispersion; Fillers; Fourier transforms; Functional groups; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Infrared spectroscopy; Intercalation; Intercalation compounds; Interlayers; Mechanical properties; Nanotubes; Original Paper; Parameter modification; Polymer Sciences; Rubber; Saturated fatty acids; Scanning electron microscopy; Skeletal composites; Stearic acid; Styrenes; Sulfurization; Thermogravimetry; Transmission electron microscopy; X-rays; Reinforcement; Stearic acid; Intercalation; Rubber; Halloysite nanotube
• ISSN: 1022-9760; 1572-8935
• DOI: 10.1007/s10965-022-03275-0

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are not only promising as reinforcing fillers for rubber materials but also have potential for storing stearic acid (SA), an important sulfurization agent. In this study, SA/HNT intercalation compounds were prepared by a secondary intercalation method to improve the mechanical properties of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) composites. The intercalation compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetry. SA molecules successfully intercalated into the interlayer of the HNTs, with d 001 increasing from 0.72 to 3.89 nm, and the intercalation rate of SA/HNTs reached 89.6%. The intercalation compound modified the processing properties and significantly improved the mechanical parameters of the filled SBR composites. The tensile and tear strengths of the obtained composites were improved by 454.1% and 193.5%, respectively, compared to those of the raw rubber material. The crosslinking density of the filled composites gradually increased with increasing filler content. SEM and TEM images indicated that the SA/HNT intercalation compound was physically dispersed in the SBR matrix. Further, many nanotubes exhibited a bending phenomenon caused by processing. The reinforcement effect of the intercalation compound is ascribed to its physical dispersion in the rubber matrix, which restricts rubber chain motion via trapping of the rubber chains and strong interactions between the rubber chains and SA functional groups.