Elastomeric Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Colloidal Route: Study of Interrelationship of Structure and Physical-Chemistry Properties

Nanocomposites of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) were synthesized by the colloidal route in the presence of Laponite clay. Nanocomposites were homogeneous at the nanometer scale and showed increased damping property, storage and loss moduli compared to pure polymers, related to the increase of polymeric motion observed at dynamic mechanical analysis, as well as the resistance to intermolecular slippage. Additionally, the dispersion of Laponite layers reduced the distance and the size of the correlation polymeric domains observed by SAXS, as well as improved the thermal resistance due to the barrier effect promoted by the presence of clay, demonstrated by the reduction of gas evolution during the thermal degradation process. These novel nanocomposites had their performance improved by the presence of Laponite clays and their physicochemical aspects could be investigated and understood.