Aramid pulp reinforced hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber composites with ionic liquid compatibilizers

Although carbon black is an effective reinforcement for most rubbers, its replacement by other fillers would be beneficial. Aramid fibers are used in a range of applications in the rubber industry, providing dimensional stability prior to vulcanization and improving the mechanical properties of the elastomeric product. Nevertheless, their relatively inert surface is an obstacle in the exploitation of their full potential. In this work, two ionic liquids were investigated as compatibilizers in the preparation of hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber composites with aramid pulp and carbon black fillers. The materials were characterized using swelling, hardness and tensile tests, differential scanning calorimetry, thermal gravimetric analysis, and infrared spectroscopy. The carbon black-free composite prepared from aramid pulp treated with 1.0 wt% of 1-carboxymethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride outperformed all other studied materials, presenting a higher modulus at 100% strain (7.31 MPa), while maintaining high strain at break. Thus, ionic liquids were found to potentialize the aramid reinforcement effect in these rubber composites. (c) 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 137, 48702.