Aluminium trihydroxide and expandable graphite based elastomer composites with special reference to flurocarbon rubber nitrile rubber neoprene rubber and natural rubber

Abstract

Elastomer is one of the most versatile engineering materials which are newlineconsidered as the workhorse of many automotive and industrial products. newlineElastomeric composites play a key role in science, technology and in our newlineday-to-day life. Most of the elastomers possess inferior mechanical newlineproperties in the absence of reinforcing filler. The incorporation of fillers newlinecauses considerable change in the mechanical properties, viscoelastic newlinebehavior, temperature dependent behavior, conductivity etc. of the neat newlineelastomer. Improvement in the properties of elastomer composites with the newlineaddition of filler depends on its various aspects like size, shape, surface newlinecharacteristics and its dispersion in the polymer matrix. The dispersion of the newlinefiller particles is very important to ensure better interfacial interaction newlinebetween the filler and the matrix, which is the key factor in determining the newlineproperties of the composites. newlineGood mechanical properties are necessary for all the composites while newlineother properties are tailored as per our requirement. In some applications like newlineaerospace, aviation etc. they need high temperature resistance, flame newlineretardancy etc. Thermal conductive properties of the composites are very newlineimportant when they are used as packaging materials for microelectronic newlinecomponents. newlineCurrent study focuses on two speciality fillers, Aluminium trihydroxide newline(ATH) and Expandable graphite (EG)- both well known as flame retardant newlineadditives- on various properties of four selected elastomers viz. Fluorocarbon newlinerubber (FKM), Nitrile rubber (NBR), Neoprene rubber (CR) and Natural newlinerubber (NR). newline