Morphology and thermomechanical properties of natural rubber vulcanizates containing octavinyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane

Octavinyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (OV-POSS) was incorporated into natural rubber (NR) to prepare the OV-POSS/NR composites. After vulcanization, the co-crosslinking reaction between OV-POSS and NR was confirmed by means of moving die rheometer, magnetic resonance cross-linking density spectroscopy and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). With a relatively low loading of OV-POSS, no discernable OV-POSS aggregates were detected in the NR matrix with the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Compared to the unmodified NR, the mechanical properties of the OV-POSS/NR vulcanizates were improved. The glass transition temperatures (Tg) of the OV-POSS/NR vulcanizates were increased very slightly. In the meantime, the OV-POSS/NR composites displayed improved thermal stability.