Authors : Elyas Talib, Noraiham Mohamad, Mohd Warikh Abd Rashid and Mohd Asyadi Azam
Abstract: The use of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube (SWCNT) as a reinforcement in rubber nanocomposite nowadays attracts a great deal of attention. The rubber used in this study was Epoxidized Natural Rubber (ENR) with SWCNT as nanofiller. The influence of nanofiller on the mechanical and thermal properties of the produced nanocomposite was studied. In this study, the nanocomposite were prepared by using Haake internal mixer with 0, 5, 10 and 15 parts per hundred rubber of the SWCNT and the detailed preparation methodology is presented. The mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile and hardness tests and presented with the addition of SWCNT, the strength and elongation at break of the ENR decreased and simultaneously, the strength modulus and hardness increased. The surfaces of the fractured specimens were examined in order to assess the fracture mechanisms. The nanocomposite was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and thermal analysis. Moreover, from the differential scanning calorimetry analysis, the increase of melting temperature (Tm), crystalline temperature (Tc) and heat transition (ΔH) with the increasing ratio of CNT.
Elyas Talib, Noraiham Mohamad, Mohd Warikh Abd Rashid and Mohd Asyadi Azam, 2014. Fabrication and Characterization of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Filled Epoxidized Natural Rubber Nanocomposite. Research Journal of Applied Sciences, 9: 344-349.