Coupling Agent Modified Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes / Ssbr Composites

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWNTs) exhibit unique mechanical, electronic and magnetic properties, which allow them to be used as possible reinforcing materials for compsites.In this paper, a reaction procedure of HNO₃ oxidation was applied to the purification of MWNTs. Then the acid-reated MWNTs were modified by multifunctional silane, KH550, KH570 and Si69. After that, the MWNTs/SSBR composites were prepared through mechanical mixing on the basis of modified MWNTs. The characteristic of fore-and-aft chemically modified MWNTs were analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis, X-ray Diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy and Thermo Gravimetry. And the influence of silane functionalized MWNTs on the mechanical and thermal properties of MWNTs/SSBR compsites were investigated.The results confirm the chemical interaction of silane with the oxidized nanotubes and silane had successfully modified MWNTs. Comparing to neat SSBR, the mechanical and thermal properties of MWNTs/SSBR compsites have been greatly improved after the addition of MWNTs. When the content of MWNTs is 15phr, its tensile strength improved by 346.08%, M₁₀₀ and hardness were reinforced respectively by 97.22% and 36%, and the thermal decomposition activation energy enhanced 82.20%. Comparing to the compsite reinforced by raw MWNTs, the mechanical properties of the MWNTs/SSBR compsites reinforced by the modified MWNTs have been improved slightly, while their thermal stabilities had no obvious improvement. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis indicated that the storage modulus of the nanocomposites increased and the glass transition temperatures decreased after the addition of MWNTs.