Study on ablative properties and mechanisms of hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) composites containing different fillers

The ablative properties of hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) composites filled with fumed silica, organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT), or expanded graphite (EG) were examined. The HNBR/OMMT composite has the lowest linear ablation rate and the highest mass ablation rate and does not tend to be carbonized. On the other hand, the HNBR/EG composite has the highest linear ablation rate and the lowest mass ablation rate, and is prone to carbonization. The ablative properties of the HNBR/silica composite are between those of HNBR/OMMT and HNBR/EG. From the viewpoint of thermal shielding capability, the HNBR/OMMT has the best ablation resistance. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) on different HNBR composites indicated that the filler type has no significant effect on the thermal stability of the composites. To understand the ablation mechanisms, the char layers of different HNBR composites after ablation experiments were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy disperse X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). The results showed that the porosity in the char layers of the HNBR/OMMT composite was the highest and the corresponding structure was the loosest of the three composites. The montmorillonite (MMT) dispersed in HNBR experienced phase transition, melting and vaporization when exposed to the flame with the temperature over 2000 °C. Fumed silica only melted at such situation. On the other hand, the EG kept their original crystalline structures after the ablation test. Based on these results, the effect of the filler type on the ablation mechanisms of the HNBR composites was discussed.