Silica binary hybrid particles based on reduced graphene oxide for natural rubber composites with enhanced thermal conductivity and mechanical properties

The single-layer functionalized reduced graphene oxide (FRGO) platelet hybrid functionalized silica (FSiO2) binary hybrid filler (FRGO-h-FSiO2) is successfully prepared and incorporated into natural rubber (NR) via combining electrostatic self assembly and wet mixing process. The introduction of FSiO2 can not only significantly improve the dispersibility of FRGO platelets in the NR matrix, but also the FSiO2 anchored on the FRGO platelets surface acts as nano-synapses to fix more rubber molecular chains and improve the compatibility between FRGO-h-FSiO2 filler and matrix. Compared with pure NR, the largest tensile strength of the FRGO-h-FSiO2/NR composites is increased by 13%, the volume resistivity is reduced by two orders of magnitude, and the lambda value of the composites is as high as 0.45 W/mK, which is 3 times that of pure NR (0.14 W/mK). The method for preparing the binary hybrid particles is effective and convenient and is beneficial to promoting the application of the binary hybrid particles in the rubber industry.

Automated summary

In this study, a single-layer functionalized reduced graphene oxide (FRGO) platelet hybrid functionalized silica (FSiO2) binary hybrid filler (FRGO-h-FSiO2) was successfully prepared and incorporated into natural rubber (NR) using electrostatic self assembly and wet mixing process. The introduction of FSiO2 not only significantly improved the dispersibility of FRGO platelets in the NR matrix, but also acted as nano-synapses to fix more rubber molecular chains and improve the compatibility between FRGO-h-FSiO2 filler and matrix. Compared with pure NR, the FRGO-h-FSiO2/NR composites exhibited increased tensile strength, reduced volume resistivity, and higher thermal conductivity.