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Effect of molecular interactions on the performance of poly(isobutylene-co-isoprene)/graphene and clay nanocomposites

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Abstract

Poly(isobutylene-co-isoprene) (IIR)/graphene and cloisite10A nanocomposites were prepared successfully and the resulting mechanical, rheological and barrier properties were carefully evaluated and compared. Chemical treatments like maleic anhydride grafting were used to improve the dispersion of the clay in the IIR matrix. Blends with different loading (20, 40, 60, and 80 %) of maleic anhydride grafted poly(isobutylene-co-isoprene) (MA-g-IIR) and IIR were made to maintain a balance between the beneficial polarity induced by MA grafting and the inevitable decrease in molecular weight (due to chain scission) induced by the free radical grafting process. The highest moduli, tensile strength and elongation at break were achieved in the case of a 60:40 ratio of MA-g-IIR (grafting degree 0.75)/IIR mixture with 5 phr of cloisite 10A. IIR/graphene nanocomposites exhibited higher reinforcement (Young’s moduli) and lower gas permeability compared to the optimized clay nanocomposites with same weight percentage. The filler–elastomer and filler–filler interactions deduced from rheology, stress relaxation and Payne effect experiments emphasize the reinforcing ability in IIR/graphene and MA-g-IIR/clay. XRD, SEM and TEM results further substantiated the results from the obtained micro structure of the nanocomposites. The improved performances of IIR/MA-g-IIR/clay and IIR/graphene were successfully correlated with interactions between the filler platelets and elastomer chains occurring in the nanocomposites.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the French Ministry for Research and the Brittany Region and the Department of Science and Technology, India, for the financial support. We also thank the Nanofunc Program of the Pays de la Loire Region for helping in the TEM analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LIMATB Laboratory, Université de Bretagne Sud, rue St Maudé, 56100, Lorient, France

    Kishor Kumar Sadasivuni & Yves Grohens

  2. School of Chemical Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, 686560, Kerala, India

    Kishor Kumar Sadasivuni & Sabu Thomas

  3. AMME-LECAP, EA 4528 International Laboratory, Institute of Material Research FED4114, Université de Rouen, Faculté des Sciences, Avenue de l’Université BP 12, 76801, Saint Etienne du Rouvray, France

    Allisson Saiter

  4. Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel UMR 6502, Centre de Microcaractérisation, 2 rue de la Houssinière, B.P. 32229, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France

    Nicolas Gautier

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  1. Kishor Kumar Sadasivuni
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Correspondence to Sabu Thomas.

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Sadasivuni, K.K., Saiter, A., Gautier, N. et al. Effect of molecular interactions on the performance of poly(isobutylene-co-isoprene)/graphene and clay nanocomposites. Colloid Polym Sci 291, 1729–1740 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-013-2908-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-013-2908-y

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