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Sepiolite hybridized commercial fillers, and their effects on curing process, mechanical properties, thermal stability, and flammability of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber composites

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Abstract

Ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM)-based composites containing sepiolite (sep) hybridized with calcium carbonate (CaCO3), silica (Sil) or carbon black (CB) were prepared on a two-roll mill. The influence of fillers’ contents on the curing, mechanical, thermal and flammability of the composites was investigated. In comparison with EPDM/sep at 30 parts per hundred rubbers (phr) as a control composite, EPDM/sep/CB composites exhibited an outstanding improvement in tensile strength followed by EPDM/sep/Sil and EPDM/sep/CaCO3 composites. EPDM/sep/CB displayed the highest thermal stability and also improved flammability resistance. In addition, a higher amount of carbon black gave higher tensile strength. The results were influenced by the ability of CB to disperse well and form protective layers acting as mass transport barriers in the matrix. The field emission scanning electron microscopy analyses proved better dispersion of CB in the matrix. The presence of protective layers on the surface of samples consequently improved the thermal properties of the EPDM composites. The mechanism of formation of char protective layer in hybrid EPDM composites was also investigated based on morphological observations of char residues. According to this work, Sil and CB were able to hybrid with sep, while sep could be a potential substitution of CaCO3 in the EPDM composites.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all levels of staffs in the Department of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). They provided a wide variety of facilities unconditionally, to make this research a success. One of the authors is also deeply indebted to the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia (KPT(BS)821115065540) and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) (600-BPD(PKH.1/2/9946) for providing funding to conduct this research.

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  1. School of Materials and Mineral Resources, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300, Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia

    Nurul Aizan Mohd Zaini, Hanafi Ismail & Arjulizan Rusli

  2. On Study Leave from Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi Mara Perlis, 02600, Arau, Perlis, Malaysia

    Nurul Aizan Mohd Zaini

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  1. Nurul Aizan Mohd Zaini
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Correspondence to Hanafi Ismail.

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Mohd Zaini, N.A., Ismail, H. & Rusli, A. Sepiolite hybridized commercial fillers, and their effects on curing process, mechanical properties, thermal stability, and flammability of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber composites. Iran Polym J 27, 663–675 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13726-018-0643-4

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