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Fullerene-Nanocomposites Using Hydrogenated Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber
Nanotechnology provides for new innovations in the rubber industry by offering novel carbon nanofillers to improve the properties of rubber compounds. Fullerene, a nanoscale filler, has unique properties for reinforcing elastomers. Fullerenes are conductive and thermally stable due to their three dimensional aromaticity and high reactivity. In this work, we investigated the effect of fullerenes (C60) in HNBR rubber for potential use where the rubber products will be used in aggressive environments. The vulcanized HNBR rubber with different filler loadings of fullerenes was compared with carbon black N330. The mechanical, dynamic mechanical and rheological behavior of the compounds was also investigated, along with the effect of fullerenes on the vulcanization kinetics. Increased filler loading of both carbon black and fullerene gave higher modulus and strength. The fullerene filled materials showed improved failure properties.