Influence of increasing Rubber Concentration on mechanical and X-ray diffraction (XRD) characteristics of Dynamically Vulcanized Thermoplastic Elastomers Nanocomposites based on LLDPE/Reclaimed Rubber

Dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer nanocomposites (TPV nanocomposites) were prepared in a brabender internal mixer using linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), reclaimed rubber (RR) and an organoclay by a one step melt mixing process. The sequence of addition of materials was: LLDPE, Cloisite 20A, reclaimed rubber and cure systems respectively. Also maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (PE-MA) was incorporated into the blend as a compatibilizer agent. The effect of rubber content (10, 30 and 50 wt %), on the mechanical properties and X-ray diffraction (XRD) characteristics of the nanocomposites were studied. The TPV nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and mechanical properties. The results of XRD characterization of the samples showed that Interlayer distance of the organoclay in the nanocomposite samples increased as the elastomer contents increased, and the intensity of the XRD peak was also observed to be reduced with increasing rubber content. The TPV nanocomposites containing 10, 30 and 50 wt% reclaimed rubber, exhibited decreasing modulus, decrease in the tensile strength and increasing of elongation at break with increasing in the amount of rubber content. The results showed that the gel contents of the samples increase with increasing of rubber contents, while the swelling indexes decrease with increasing of rubber contents.

Keywords:

organoclay , nanocomposites , thermoplastic vulcanized , dynamic vulcanization , compatibilizer