PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF NANOCOMPOSITE FROM NR AND NATURAL NA+-MONTMORILLONITE

NR/Na+-montmorillonite (NR/Na+-MMT) nanocomposites were prepared through mixing in the latex stage. NR/Na+-MMT nanocomposites with various amounts of Na+-MMT were fabricated using three types of NR latexes: fresh NR (FNR), high ammonia NR, and deproteinized NR latex. The Na+-MMT and NR latexes were characterized by particle size distribution and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. The nanocomposite materials were then analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and contact angle measurements. The mechanical properties of the resulting products were measured by tensile testing machine. The composite prepared from FNR gave the best tensile strength at 3 phr MMT loading. The outstanding properties are proposed to be due to the contribution of the water-soluble compounds present in FNR that possess similar hydrophilicity to Na+-MMT.