A Review on Rubber-Enhanced Polymeric Materials

ABSTRACT

In the field of nanotechnology, the innovation of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) is a fast developing interdisciplinary field which is becoming beneficial to many industries because of the resulting tremendous expansion on the uses of polymers. Despite the enhancement of many of their interesting properties, the potential use of PNCs is yet restricted by an unevenness in mechanical properties; thus, the need for rubber modification. Although studies on rubber-modified polymers and composites were extensively covered in many literatures, not so much has been reported on rubber-modified based PNC systems. This paper is an effort to collect and review pertinent information from past and current developments in polymer matrix-based systems with rubber, of any size, as the main key modification. Also, in the discussion, nanoadditives such as graphene oxide, carbon nanotube, nanoclay, and the like (but not rubber nanoparticles) make a material a nanocomposite. Based on the reviewed studies, rubber-modified PNCs have resulted to enhanced fracture toughness with accompanied but tolerable reduction in material strength and stiffness. With balance end use performance, it is thought that rubber-modified PNCs may lead to more exciting robust materials that amalgamate the power of rubber-toughening and the perks of PNCs.

KEYWORDS:

• Polymer nanocomposite
• rubber modification
• toughening

Funding

We gratefully acknowledge funding from NSF STC–0423914, Case Western Reserve University and technical support from Park Instruments and also Biolin Scientific. We also acknowledge funding for Eugene Caldona from the Engineering Research for Development and Technology (ERDT) of the Philippines.