Thermal characterization of the effect of fillers and ionic liquids on the vulcanization and properties of acrylonitrile-butadiene elastomer

Different thermal analysis techniques were used to study the effect of fillers and ionic liquids (ILs) on the vulcanization process, thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of acrylonitrile-butadiene elastomer (NBR). The products of the studies were composites of NBR filled with hydrotalcite, nanosized silica or carbon black. ILs such as 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium (BMpyrrolBF(4)), 1-butyl-4-methylpyridinium (BMpyrBF(4)) or 1-butyl-1-methylpiperidinium (BMpipBF(4)) tetrafluoroborates were applied to improve the dispersion degree of the curatives and filler particles in the elastomer and to increase the efficiency of vulcanization. The differential scanning calorimetry results indicated that ILs reduced the vulcanization temperature of NBR compounds and increased the homogeneity of cross-link distribution in the elastomer network. NBRs filled with carbon black or silica exhibited similar thermal stabilities, whereas hydrotalcite reduced the temperature of thermal decomposition. The lowest mechanical loss factors were determined for vulcanizates filled with nanosized silica.