Effect of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube on Morphological andRheologicalProperties of EPDM Rubber

A novel modification approach for achieving a good dispersion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in EPDMmatrix has been investigated. In this approach EPDM was modified with vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) during melt mixing. In addition, the effect of MWCNTs concentration on the morphological and rheological properties of modified EPDM has been studied. The formulated composites by this method exhibited significantly enhanced physical properties even at very low nanotube concentration.The grafting reaction was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) peak at 1070 and 1250 cm-1according to Si-O and Si-C vibration. The state of dispersion of the fillers in the polymer matrix was evaluated through Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning ElectronMicroscopy (SEM). The results showed that VTMS-grafted on the EPDM surface improved the dispersion of MWCNTs in the matrix. The rheological characteristics have been studied by rubber process analyzer (RPA). Some properties such as storage modulus and complex viscosity increased with increasing WMCT content

Keywords:

Novel Modification , EPDM , Multi-walled carbon nanotube , Rheological characteristic , Morphological Properties