Filler dispersion evolution of acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber/graphite nanocomposites during processing

In this work, acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber/expanded graphite compounds with initial fine dispersion of nanosize graphite were prepared by latex compounding method, and then the dispersion evolution of the graphite during subsequent mixing and vulcanization was carefully investigated by using rubber process analysis, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that a significant filler network was already formed in the initial compounds because of the nanoscale dispersion and the high width/thickness ratio of graphite even at a content of less than 5 phr. During shearing, the graphite dispersion evolution is strongly related to the initial filler network. The filler network as well as the dispersion could also be obviously altered by changing the curing pressure and temperature during vulcanization, suggesting that the initial fine dispersion of graphite in the rubber/graphite nanocomposites could be maintained by reducing shear and by curing at a higher temperature and at a lower pressure.