Synergistic effect of graphene and carbon black on the mechanical and vibration damping characteristics of styrene-butadiene rubber

This work experimentally introduces a novel approach to vibration damping materials in industrial applications, investigating the synergistic effect of graphene nanoplates (GNP) and carbon black (CB) within styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) to enhance both mechanical properties and vibration damping characteristics. The SBR hybrid nanocomposite containing a fixed amount of CB (20 phr) and a variable amount of GNP (2, 5, 7.5, and 10 phr) was prepared to compare with a neat SBR and 20 phr CB/SBR composite. The hybrid nanocomposites underwent assessment for morphology, tensile strength, tear strength, hardness, and vibration damping characteristics utilizing constrained layer damping (CLD). The results indicated that, in comparison to non-hybrid composites, the addition of GNP to the SBR matrix substantially improved the tensile strength by 64%, modulus by 28%, stiffness by 28%, and tear strength by 31.3%. Experimental modal analysis was used to determine the vibration characteristics. The system loss factor of the CLD exhibited a notable increase of 105% and 44% in the first and second modes, respectively, with the incorporation of 10 phr graphene in the hybridized composite, as compared to the composite containing only carbon black. The experimental damping loss factor was compared with theoretical model values proposed in one available mathematical model revealing a better agreement overall, though an exception was noted in the first mode. This paper can serve as a foundation for fabricating constrained layer damping (CLD) structures using hybrid fillers, resulting in high materials loss factors suitable for low-frequency applications.