Preparation and Properties of Rare Earth Modified Carbon Black/Natural Rubber Composites

The oxides Eu, Ho, Er and Dy were used to prepare the hydroxides of rare earth modified carbon black. Then natural rubber latex （NRL） was added into the reactor. The system reacted at 85 ℃ with stirring for 1 h to prepare powdered HAF-Ln（OH）3/NR composites. The effects of the kind and content of Ln on the particle size distribution of P [ NR/HAF-Ln （OH）3 ] and mechanical properties of its vulcanizate were studied respectively. It is found that rare earth can help to get the powder of the composite, the product particle with a diameter less than 0.9mm will be get when the composites containing the compound of Ho, Er and Dy with dosage of 1.0, 1.0, O. 5 percent, respectively. The adding of Ln can improve the tensile strength and tear strength of the vulcanizate effectively, what＇s more, Er and Dy can decrease the permanent set of vulcanizate significantly. The SEM studies shows that P[ NR/HAF-Dy （OH）3 ] vulcanizate shows superior mechanical properties that depend primarily on the absence of free carbon black, the fine dispersion of carbon black in the rubber matrix and better polymer-filler interaction.

Electrical Percolation of Carbon Black Filled Poly (ethylene oxide)Composites in Relation to the Matrix Morphology

The present work studies the electrical conduction performance of carbon black (CB)filled poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) composites. The addition of CB leads to reduced matrixcrystallinity as the fillers which are partly situated inside the lamellae and hinder the growth of PEOcrystallites. As a result, the electrical percolation behavior is related with the matrix morphology.

Effect of Strain on the Electrical Resistance of Carbon Nanotube/Silicone Rubber Composites

Carbon nanotube （CNT） filled silicone rubber （SR） composites were synthesized by in situ polymerization.The effect of strain on the electrical resistance of the CNT/SR composites and the structure evolution of CNT networks during tensile deformation were investigated.The results showed that the CNT/SR composites had high sensitivity of resistance-strain response.In a wide strain range （0-125%）,the change of resistivity could reach 107,which was closely associated with the evolution process of the conductive CNT-network structure.The volume expansion of the composites in the tensile process led to a gradual decrease in the volume fraction of CNTs with the strain increase.When CNT loading was lower than the percolation threshold,CNT network was in disconnected state with a rapid increase in electrical resistance of the composites.Furthermore,the CNT loading had remarkable effect on the sensitivity of resistance-strain response in the composites.

Structure and Properties of Self-assembled Narural Rubber/Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube Composites

Natural rubber （NR）/multi-walled carbon nanotube （MWCNTs） composites were prepared by combining self-assembly and latex compounding techniques.The acid-treated MWCNTs （H2SO4：HNO3=3：1,volume ratio） were self-assembled with poly （diallyldimethylammonium chloride） （PDDA） through electrostatic adhesion.In the second assembling,NR/MWCNTs composites were developed by mixing MWCNTs/PDDA solution with NR latex.The results show that MWCNTs are homogenously distributed throughout the NR matrix as single tube and present a great interfacial adhesion with NR phase when MWCNTs contents are less than 3 wt%.Moreover,the addition of the MWCNTs brings about the remarkable enhancement in tensile strength and crosslink density compared with the NR host,and the data peak at 2 wt% MWCNTs loadings.When more MWCNTs are loaded,aggregations of MWCNTs are gradually generated,and the tensile strength and crosslink both decrease to a certain extent.

Effects of Conductive Carbon Black on Thermal and Electrical Properties of Barium Titanate/Polyvinylidene Fluoride Composites for Road Application

In the field of roads,due to the effect of vehicle loads,piezoelectric materials under the road surface can convert mechanical vibration into electrical energy,which can be further used in road facilities such as traffic signals and street lamps.The barium titanate/polyvinylidene fluoride(BaTiO_(3)/PVDF)composite,the most common hybrid ceramic-polymer system,was widely used in various fields because the composite combines the good dielectric property of ceramic materials with the good flexibility of PVDF material.Previous studies have found that conductive particles can further improve the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of other composites.However,few studies have investigated the effect of conductive carbon black on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of BaTiO_(3)/PVDF composites.In this study,BaTiO_(3)/PVDF/conductive carbon black composites were prepared with various conductive carbon black contents based on the optimum ratio of BaTiO_(3)to PVDF.The effects of conductive carbon black content on the morphologies,thermal performance,conductivities,dielectric properties,and piezoelectric properties of the BaTiO_(3)/PVDF/conductive carbon black composites were then investigated.The addition of conductive carbon black greatly enhances the conductivities,dielectric properties,and piezoelectric properties of the BaTiO_(3)/PVDF/conductive carbon black composites,especially when the carbon black content is 0.8%by weight of PVDF.Additionally,the conductive carbon black does not have an obvious effect on the morphologies and thermal stabilities of BaTiO_(3)/PVDF/conductive carbon black composites.

Some Factors Influencing the Dielectric Properties of Natural Rubber Composites Containing Different Carbon Nanostructures

Natural rubber based composites containing different carbon nanofillers (fullerenes, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs)) at different concentrations have been prepared. Their dielectric properties (dielectric permittivity, dielectric loss) have been studied in the 1 - 12 GHz frequency range. Some factors (electromagnetic field frequency, fillers concentration, fillers intrinsic structure) influencing the dielectric behavior of the composites have been investigated. The dielectric properties of the developed natural rubber composites containing conductive fillers (fullerenes, CNTs, GNPs) indicate that these composites can be used as broadband microwave absorbing materials.

Thermal conductivity of natural rubber nanocomposites with hybrid fillers

Natural rubber nanocomposites filled with hybrid fillers of multi-walled carbon nanotubes(CNTs) and carbon black(CB) were prepared. CNTs were ultrasonically modified in mixture of hydrogen peroxide(H2O2) and distilled water(H2O). The functional groups on the surface of CNTs, changes in nanotube structure and morphology were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR), Raman Spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). It shows that hydroxyl(OH·) is successfully introduced. The surface defects of modified CNTs were obviously higher than those of original CNTs, and the degree of agglomeration was greatly reduced. Thermal conductivity of the composites was tested by protection heat flow meter method. Compared with unmodified CNTs/CB filling system, the thermal conductivity of hybrid composites is improved by an average of 5.8% with 1.5 phr(phr is parts per hundred rubber) of hydroxyl CNTs and 40 phr of CB filled. A three-dimensional heat conduction network composed of hydroxyl CNTs and CB, as observed by TEM, contributes to the good properties. Thermal conductivity of the hybrid composites increases as temperature rises. The mechanical properties of hybrid composites are also good with hydroxyl CNTs filled nanocomposites;the tensile strength, 100% and 300% tensile stress are improved by 10.1%, 22.4% and 26.2% respectively.

INFLUENCES OF MODIFIERS ON SURFACE PROPERTIES OF WHITE CARBON BLACK AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SILICONE RUBBER

Various of modifiers were used to modify the surface activity of white carbon black. The oil absorption, viscosity, hydrophobic rate and burning loss of white carbon black and the mechanical propertiess of silicone rubber were measured. The influences of the modifiers on the properties of white carbon black and the mechanical properties of silicone rubber were discussed.

NANOMECHANICAL MAPPING OF CARBON BLACK REINFORCED NATURAL RUBBER BY ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY

Atomic force microscopy （AFM） has the advantage of obtaining mechanical properties as well as topographic information at the same time. By analyzing force-distance curves measured over two-dimensional area using Hertzian contact mechanics, Young＇s modulus mapping was obtained with nanometer-scale resolution. Furthermore, the sample deformation by the force exerted was also estimated from the force-distance curve analyses. We could thus reconstruct a real topographic image by incorporating apparent topographic image with deformation image. We applied this method to carbon black reinforced natural rubber to obtain Young＇s modulus distribution image together with reconstructed real topographic image. Then we were able to recognize three regions; rubber matrix, carbon black （or bound rubber） and intermediate regions. Though the existence of these regions had been investigated by pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance, this paper would be the first to report on the quantitative evaluation of the interfacial region in real space.

Basic Properties of Pyrolysis Carbon Black of Waste Tyres and Application of Pyrolysis Carbon Black in Transition Layer Rubber of All Steel Radial Tire

The main chemical composition of pyrolysis carbon black of waste tires is C,O,Cu,Zn and so on.The content of ash and fine powder in pyrolysis carbon black is high,and the 300%elongation stress is high.The difference between pyrolysis carbon black and furnace black N326,which is commonly used in rubber,is obvious compared with chemical property.The pyrolysis carbon black was used to replace furnace black N326 in the transition layer of all steel load Radial tire rubber through experimental study.It was found that the compression heat generation and dynamic loss(Tanδ)of the blend rubber before and after aging were obviously reduced,the elongation at break and resilience increased,while the tensile stress and tear strength decreased by 100%and 300%,but the hardness and tensile strength changed little before and after aging.According to the latest raw material price calculation,15 used tire pyrolysis carbon black instead of furnace carbon black N326 used in all steel Radial tire transition layer rubber application,excluding labor costs,electricity and equipment depreciation,a ton of blended rubber saves about$22.86 in production costs.

Effect of Carbon Black Loading on the Mechanical Properties and Gasohol Resistance of the Filled Natural Rubber

The mechanical properties, thermal and gasohol resistance of the natural zeolite, rice husk ash （RHA） and perlite-filled natural rubber （NR） with addition of carbon black （CB） loading was studied. The amount of fillers （natural zeolite, RHA and perlite） filled in the vulcanizates has been fixed at 20 phr, while CB loading was varied in a range of 0-45 phr. It was found that the tensile strength, percentage of elongation at break, modulus and hardness of the vulcanizates filled with all kinds of fillers increased with the increase of CB loading, while there was no significant change in the compression set. Moreover, at this particular filler loading （20 phr）, the addition of perlite has significant effect on gasohol resistance of the vulcanizates in which gasohol resistance （various ethanol ratio） of the vulcanizates was significantly improved with perlite loading compared with others.

POSITIVE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT PHENOMENON OF CARBON LOADED NBR COMPOSITES

The resistivity of conductive composites of NBR(Butadiene nitrile rubber) filled with conductive carbon black and two kinds of special organic fillers was measured from room temperature to 90℃. In such semiconduc-tive systems. A positive temperature coefficient (PTC) phenomenon is observed, whose intensity depends on the type concentration and other physical and chemical properties of carbon black. Two empirical formulae are obtained by a the-oretical fitting method from the experimental data. One is for the resistivity of NBR/CB composites at room temperature and the other is for the resistivity of NBR/ N550 composites with relatively high concentrations N550 carbon blick in the temperature range of 30 ~ 90℃. The stability of resistivity is also discussed.

Understanding the Effect of Zinc Oxide(ZnO)With Carbon Black Coupling Agent on Physico-Mechanical Properties in Natural Rubber Matrix

Natural rubber(NR)is not only the main compounding ingredient used to make the majority of components of tires as well as other rubber products,as it plays a significant role in ensuring that they operate well and complies with environmental standards.The applications of NR products are lim-ited to high temperatures due to the revision tendency of NR vulcanizate.To address these issues,the potential engagement of a carbon black(CB)coupling agent(CA)in the presence of metal oxide i.e.Zinc Oxide(ZnO)was investigated in an NR-based system.This CA has dual functionality on physicomechanical properties.CA has the ability to reduce hysteresis loss as well as improve anti-reversion properties and these properties thorough-ly depend on the presence of ZnO.While ZnO was added to the master formulation,a 65%improvement in reversion properties was observed.On the other hand,while ZnO fully transferred to the final formulation,bound rubber(BR)content increased by 19%,the difference in storage modulus(ΔG’)is reduced by 22%,cure rate index(CRI)improved by 14%,loss tangent(tanδ)reduced by 18%and slightly improve in elongation at break compared to control compound.Thermo-gravimetric analysis(TGA)was engaged to understand the thermal stability and degree of purity of CA.A differential Scanning Calorimeter(DSC)was used to detect the phase tran-sition of CA.Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrum(FTIR)was adopted to detect the presence of carboxyl and amine groups in the CA moiety.Payne effect,BR content and Transmission Electron Microscope(TEM)were em-ployed to investigate the micro-level dispersion of CB in the natural rubber(NR)matrix.

A Novel Method for Preparing Polyurethane Based Conductive Composites with Low Percolation Threshold

A novel method for preparing conductive carbon black fllled polymer composites with low percolation threshold from polyurethane emulsion are reported in this paper. The experimental results indicate that with a rise in carbon black concentration the insulator-conductor transition in the emulsion blended composites occurs at 0.8-1.4vol%. In contrast, the solution blended composites exhibit drastic increase in conductivity at conducting filler fraction as high as 12.3-13.3vol%. It is demonstrated that the composites microstructure rather than chemical structure of the matrix polymer predominantly determines the electrical conduction performance of the composites.

Aging Characteristics and Influencing Factors of the Sheds of Composite Insulators in Karst Regions of China

In recent years,more and more high-voltage overhead transmission lines were built passing through the karst regions in southwestern China.This type of special landform seems to have an adverse effect on the aging of the sheds of the line suspension composite insulators,which may lead to unexpected flashover and line tripping.In order to find out the particularity of the aging characteristics of insulators operating in the karst regions,samples in operation were selected from both the karst regions and the flatlands.Hydrophobicity,amount of surface contamination,and contaminant composition of the sheds were studied,then a comparison of performance between the two was made,and the possible influencing factors that cause such differences were discussed.The results show that the overall aging of the sheds of the composite insulators operating at the karst regions is more aggravated,which is caused by the combined influence of factors including the special topography,climate,and pollution in the area.The strong wind crossing the col will bring about the mutual scraping on the edges and stress concentration at the root of the sheds,leaving scratches and root cracks;the infiltration from these rupture of acid liquid,if any,will accelerate the aging and corroding of the internal silicone rubber material;moreover,the carbonates enriched on the surface of the sheds will gradually transform into more corrosive sulfates in an acidic environment,leading to further deterioration and chalking of the sheds of the insulators.The research work in this paper can provide guidance for the current operation and maintenance of composite insulators in the karst areas,as well as having important reference values for the layout design and insulation configuration of transmission lines to be built across karst landforms in the future.

Textile-Based Sensors for Inspection of Composite Materials

The monitoring of mechanical deformation and damage of composite materials is normally performed by established analytical methods,such as strain gauges and optical and piezoelectric sensors.However,large areas outside of the measuring cell remain unconsidered.A large-area sensitive sensor for composites is presented,which is simply generated by printing a carbon layer on the reinforcing glass fiber fabrics or on any composite itself.Such printed sensors enable to determine mechanical deformations and damages of the entire component and it responds with a measurable electrical resistance to external tension or pressure without any hysteresis.The strongest influence on sensor signal was identified with low carbon concentration and thin layers.The sensors signal linearly correlates with the degree of deformation and bending velocity whereas bending direction can be identified through signal change under residual tensile stress or compressive stress.

Preparation of Polymer Composite Particles by Phase Separation Followed by Suspension Polymerization

The novel method for preparing the polymer composite particles has been developed. It was tried to prepare polymer composite particles composed of polystyrene and carbon black with the phase separation method followed by suspension polymerization. In order to prepare the polymer composite particles with the more uniform diameter, the styrene monomer droplets containing carbon black were formed with phase separation emulsification in which ethyl alcohol and water were used as the good solvent and the poor solvent for styrene monomer, respectively. In the experiment, the surfactant species and their concentrations, the pouring velocity of water and the weight ratio of carbon black to styrene monomer were mainly changed. Water was poured at the given pouring velocity into ethyl alcohol in which styrene monomer and an initiator were dissolved and carbon black was dispersed beforehand. The spherical polymer composite particles containing carbon black were prepared with Tween 20 and Tween 80 of nonionic surfactants and the irregular polymer composite particles were prepared with PVA, SDS and Kotamine. The diameters of polymer composite particles increased with the pouring velocity of water and with the weight ratio of carbon black to styrene monomer.

Optimization of mixing speed and time to disperse the composite conductive agent composed of carbon black and graphene in lithium-ion battery slurry

This paper proposed an optimal approach to disperse the composite conductive agent which is composed of carbon black(CB)and graphene(Gr)within lithium-ion battery(LIB)slurry with different mixing speeds and mixing times.The internal structures of LIB slurry are characterized by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy,Scanning Electron Microscopy,and Raman experiment.Initially,a composite conductive solution is prepared by mixing the composite conductive agent with NMP solvent under the conditions of five different mixing speeds n_(1)(n_(1)=1000,1100,1200,1300,1400 rpm)in the case of mixing time t_(1)=10 min.Subsequently,LIB slurry is prepared by blending the composite conductive solution,LiCoO_(2)and PVDF-NMP solution under the conditions of five different mixing speeds n_(2)(n_(2)=1000±280,1100±280,1200±280,1300±280,1400±280 rpm)in the case of mixing time t_(2)=6 min.By analyzing the internal structure of different LIB slurries,it shows that in the case of n_(1)=n_(2)=1200 rpm,a conductive network structure is well formed within LIB slurry.Additionally,in order to determine the optimal time to prepare the composite conductive solution for LIB slurry,nine different t_(1)(t_(1)=0,10,20,30,40,50,60,70,80 min)are selected.By analyzing the internal structure of different LIB slurries,a well-formed conductive network structure and a uniformly distributed composite conductive agent are deduced in LIB slurry when t_(1)=50 min.Therefore,it can be concluded that the composite conductive agent composed of CB and Gr is able to be uniformly dispersed in LIB slurry by establishing a well-formed conductive network structure under the optimal mixing speed n_(1)=n_(2)=1200 rpm and the optimal mixing time t_(1)=50 min,t_(2)=6 min.This kind of the internal structure has the potential to be used to further analyze the dispersion characterizations of LIB slurry under different composite conductive agent and CB/Gr ratios with the aim of improving the final performance of LIB.

Electromagnetic wave absorption performance and rheological behavior of rubber composites with low mass filling rate carbon nanofiber aerogel

With the development of electronic information science and technology,electromagnetic information security and electromagnetic pollution become more and more serious.Electromagnetic wave absorption(EMWA)rubber based on the absorbent of carbon with low density and good corrosion resistance is a kind of good EMWA materials for solving electromagnetic information security and electromagnetic pollution.In this article,three-dimensional network structure carbon nanofiber aerogels(3DNSCAs)are prepared by vacuum annealing of three-dimensional network structure agarose/zinc acetate obtained by freeze-drying of agarose/zinc acetate gel.The EMWA rubber composites with 2.2%(in mass)3DNSCAs have almost the same density as silicone rubber(PDMS),and the dispersity of 3DNSCAs in PDMS is studied by rheological analysis.The effective absorption bandwidth(EAB,frequency for reflection loss<–10 dB)of the 2 mm thick PDMS/C-800 is 4 GHz,and the minimum value of reflection loss(RL_(min))is−52 dB with the thickness of 3.5 mm.The PDMS/C-1000 with the thickness of 3.5 mm has an EAB up to 4.8 GHz.Radar cross section(RCS)reduction of PDMS/C-800 can achieve 20 dB⋅m^(2) at the frequency of 6 GHz.