Studies on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Black/Halloysite Nanotube Hybrid Fillers in Nitrile Rubber Nanocomposites
Abstract Carbon black (CB)-Halloysite nanotubes(HNT) hybrid composites based on Acrylonitrile Butadiene rubber(NBR) were prepared. The Carbon black loading was kept fixed at 60 phr and Halloysite nanotube loading was varied from 0 to 10 parts per hundred rubber(phr). The nanocomposites were prepared by mixing using a two-roll open mill. The effect of CB-HNT hybrid fillers on the curing behaviour, mechanical properties and morphology of the NBR nanocomposites was investigated. The cure characteristics showed that the scorch time(ts 2 ) and cure time (t 90 ) increased with the HNT loading. The maximum torque(M H ) exhibited an increasing trend from 0 to 6 phr . The tensile properties which exhibited an increasing trend until an optimum loading of 6phr were mainly influenced by the NBR-CB-HNT interaction and the intercalation of rubber and CB into the tubules. These results were well supported by the XRD studies and cross link density determinations.