Electron beam irradiation of sulphur vulcanised ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) nanocomposites reinforced by halloysite nanotubes

Abstract

Modification of the tensile, thermomechanical, morphological and Fourier transform infrared properties of sulphur vulcanised ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) nanocomposites filled with 0, 10, 30 and 100 parts per hundred rubber (phr) of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) by electron beam (EB) irradiation in the presence of cross-link promoter trimethylolpropane triacrylate has been studied. The EB irradiation dosages of 0, 50, 100 and 150 kGy were applied on the EPDM/HNT nanocomposites after sulphur cross-linking. The tensile strength of the EPDM/HNT nanocomposites at low (<30 phr) and high (100 phr) HNT loadings increased and decreased respectively while the elongation at break decreased after applying EB irradiation.