Structure-Property Correlation in Natural Rubber Nanocomposite Foams: A Comparison between Nanoclay and Cellulose Nanofiber Used as Nanofillers.

Nanocomposite foams of natural rubber (NR) with 5 phr of two kinds of nanofillers, nanoclay (NC) and cellulose nanofiber (CNF), were produced using the latex mixing method and foaming with azodicarbonamide. The effect of the nanofiller on the structure and mechanical properties of NR foams was investigated through SEM, TEM, tensile tests, WAXD, and compression set measurements. Smaller cells with a narrower distribution were attained in the NC/NR foam when compared to the NR and CNF/NR foams, and the expansion ratio was larger due to the suppression of the shrinkage in the NC/NR foam.

Reinforcement Behavior of Chemically Unmodified Cellulose Nanofiber in Natural Rubber Nanocomposites.

We investigated the reinforcement behavior of small amounts of chemically unmodified cellulose nanofiber (CNF) in eco-friendly natural rubber (NR) nanocomposites. For this purpose, NR nanocomposites filled with 1, 3, and 5 parts per hundred rubber (phr) of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) were prepared by a latex mixing method. By using TEM, a tensile test, DMA, WAXD, a bound rubber test, and gel content measurements, the effect of CNF concentration on the structure-property relationship and reinforcing mechanism of the CNF/NR nanocomposite was revealed.

Comparative Structure-Property Relationship between Nanoclay and Cellulose Nanofiber Reinforced Natural Rubber Nanocomposites.

Natural rubber (NR) nanocomposites reinforced with five parts per hundred rubber (phr) of two different nano-fillers, i.e., nanoclay (abbrev.