Investigation of fatty acids as renewable fillers for elastomers

Reinforcing fillers, such as carbon black, silica, and nano-clay, are used to enhance the mechanical properties of elastomers. A significant challenge in their use is their proper dispersion in the elastomer matrix to achieve a level of homogeneity to provide good reinforcement. A potential alternative is a molecular filler which is soluble at high temperature, but crystallizes upon cooling to form a solid, dispersed phase. This talk will discuss the investigation of renewable fatty acids, including saturated mono- and di-acids, as fillers. In addition to the effect on the mechanical behavior the unique properties of these molecular fillers, such as shape memory and swelling based dispersion will be discussed.