Assessment of various nano-clays in bromobutyl rubber hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber blend for improved gas barrier applications

摘要

For the past few decades, butyl rubber (IIR) and its derivatives have been used primarily in air barrier applications. Recently other synthetic rubbers like hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) has attracted attention for its air barrier properties. A blend of brominated butyl rubber (BIIR) and HNBR can be a potential and novel material with improved technical features as well as excellent processing behavior. In this article, laponite (RD) and bentonite (MT) nano-clays have been used to prepare BIIR-HNBR blend based nanocomposites. A detailed investigation of nanocomposite morphology has been done using the transmission electron microscope results. The improvement in terms of mechanical and gas barrier properties of BIIR-HNBR nano-clay composites over BIIR-carbon black composites have been explored in detail. The air impermeability of BIIR-HNBR blends shows a 20% improvement compared to the reference composite. The results clearly demonstrate the usefulness and effectiveness of the material in gas barrier applications.