分别以碳纳米管、炭黑以及碳纳米管和炭黑复合体作为橡胶补强剂,在开炼机上进行混炼加工制得橡胶复合材料。实验结果表明:与炭黑补强橡胶体系相比,碳纳米管能够提高橡胶复合材料弹性模量、定伸应力、耐磨和导电性能,但复合材料的拉伸强度、撕裂强度、伸长率,黏度以及加工性能都较差;而以碳纳米管和炭黑混合物作为复合补强剂,通过二者的协同补强效应,形成真正意义的“葡萄串”结构,整体地提高了橡胶复合材料的性能。当碳纳米管和炭黑的质量比为1:4时,制备的橡胶复合材料抗撕裂强度(78.4kN/m)、硬度(68)以及磨耗(0.122cm^3/km)性能都优于相同含量炭黑橡胶体系;与相同含量的碳纳米管橡胶体系相比,伸长率(470%)和黏度(65Pa·s)均大大改进。碳纳米管的加入使橡胶复合材料具有优良的动态力学性能,在低滚动滞后性和抗疲劳损失的轮胎胎面胶方面将有潜在的实用价值。
Rubber/carbon composites were prepared by mixing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), carbon black or a mixture of carbon black and MWCNTs with rubber by a laboratory two-roll mill. Results showed that MWCNTs could effectively improve elastic modulus, stress at a defined enlongation, abrasion resistance and electrical properties compared to the carbon black additive. However, the tensile strength, tear strength, strain to failure, viscosity and processing properties of the MWCNT based composites were rather poor. The properties of the composites with both MWCNTs and carbon black added were improved effectively by the formation a grape-cluster-like reinforcing structure. When the weight ratio of MWCNTs to carbon black was 1:4, the tear strength (78.4kN/m), hardness (68) and abrasion loss (0.112 cm^3/km) of the rubber/MWCNT-carbon black composite were better than those of the rubber/carbon black composite and the strain to failure (470%) and viscosity (65 Pa·s) were better than those of the rubber/MWCNT composite. The rubber/MWCNT composites had excellent dynamic mechanical properties and could be used in tyres with low roll hysteresis and fatigue loss resistance.