Impact of blend ratio on the properties of graphene oxide‐filled carboxylated acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber/styrene–butadiene rubber blends

Abstract

Abstract Carboxylated acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber (XNBR) and styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) composites with 3 phr (parts per hundred rubber) graphene oxide (GO) were prepared using a latex mixing method. Effects of XNBR/SBR blend ratios on the mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, solvent resistance and thermal stability of the XNBR/SBR/GO nanocomposites were studied. The tensile strength, tear strength, thermal conductivity and solvent resistance of the XNBR/SBR/GO (75/25/3) nanocomposite were significantly increased by 86, 96, 12 and 21%, respectively, compared to those of the XNBR/SBR (75/25) blend. The thermal stability of the nanocomposite was significantly enhanced; in other words, the temperature for 5% weight loss and the temperature of the maximal rate of degradation process were increased by 26.01 and 14.97 °C, respectively. Theoretical analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis showed that the GO tended to locate in the XNBR phase, which led to better properties of the XNBR/SBR/GO (75/25/3) nanocomposite. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry