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Synthesis and characterization of acrylic rubber/silica hybrid composites prepared by sol‐gel technique
Author(s) -
Bandyopadhyay Abhijit,
Bhowmick Anil K.,
De Sarkar Mousumi
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.20681
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , natural rubber , thermogravimetric analysis , ultimate tensile strength , scanning electron microscope , thermal stability , dynamic mechanical analysis , polymer , chemical engineering , engineering
Abstract The organic–inorganic hybrid composites comprising acrylic rubber and silica were synthesized through sol–gel technique at ambient temperature. The composites were generated through the acid‐catalyzed hydrolysis and subsequent condensations of inorganic tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in the organic acrylic rubber (ACM), solvated in tetrahydrofuran. The morphology of the hybrid materials was investigated by using the transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Transmission electron micrographs revealed that the silica particles, uniformly distributed over the rubber matrix, are of nanometer scale (20–90 nm). The scanning electron micrographs demonstrated the existence of silica frameworks dispersed in the rubber matrix of the hybrid composites. The X‐ray silicon mapping also supported that observation. There was no evidence of chemical interaction between the rubber phase and the dispersed inorganic phase, as confirmed from the infrared spectroscopic analysis and solubility measurements. Dynamic mechanical analysis indicated mechanical reinforcements within the hybrid composites. The composites containing in situ silica, formed by sol–gel technique, demonstrated superior tensile strengths and tensile modulus values at 300% elongations with increasing proportions of tetraethoxysilane. However, the improvements in physical properties with similar proportions of precipitated silica were not significant. Maximum tensile strength and tensile modulus were obtained when the rubber phase in the hybrid composites was cured with ammonium benzoate and hexamethylenediamine carbamate system, as compared with benzoyl peroxide cured system. Thermal stability of the hybrid composites was not improved appreciably with respect to the virgin rubber specimen. Residue analysis from thermogravimetric study together with infrared spectroscopic analysis indicated the presence of unhydrolyzed tetraethoxysilane in the hybrid composites. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 2579–2589, 2004