Effect of graphene oxide particle size on the tensile strength and stability of natural rubber graphene composite

• Main Authors: Lim, Lai Peng, Juan, Joon Ching, Huang, Nay Ming, Goh, Leng Kian, Leng, Fook Peng, Loh, Yi Yee
• Format: Article
• Published: Elsevier 2020
• Subjects: Q Science (General); T Technology (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/36227/; https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85090865827&origin=resultslist&sort=plf-f&src=s&sid=7d088d47e7d5ee22f5fe798d118be8b2&sot=b&sdt=b&s=TITLE-ABS-KEY%28Effect+of+graphene+oxide+particle+size+on+the+tensile+strength+and+stability+of+natural+rubber+graphene+composite%29&sl=128&sessionSearchId=7d088d47e7d5ee22f5fe798d118be8b2

Graphene oxide (GO) is a great candidate to improve the strength and stability of natural rubber latex (NRL) composite. The size of GO plays a crucial role because smaller size tends to oxidise easily. The nano-size and micron-size of GO were synthesized and then compounded with NRL via in-situ reduction method. The NRL with nano size GO (GO-N) possess a high tensile strength of 22.03 +/- 0.84 MPa at 700% elongation (M700) and good ageing stability. We discovered that the GO-N is not only exhibit high degree of oxidation but also the GO-N is fully embedded in the rubber film to furnish smooth surface. The high degree of oxidation of GO-N promotes better inter-particle crosslinking between rubber-filler that enhance the stability of NRL composite. This study provides understanding of GO-N which enable the production of thinner and stable NRL composite.