Influences of sodium dodecyl sulfate on vulcanization kinetics and mechanical performance of EPDM/graphene oxide nanocomposites

In this study, the influences of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the vulcanization process and mechanical performance of ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer rubber (EPDM)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites are investigated. Torque values variations and activation energies of the vulcanization process are used to study possible interactions between GO and EPDM. An increase in physical interactions between EPDM macromolecules and GO nanosheets in the presence of SDS is observed through rheometry studies, as minimum torque and scorch time of the vulcanization process increased noticeably. Moreover, the maximum strength of the EPDM/GO nanocomposite in the presence of SDS is about 137% more than the mechanical strength of the EPDM/GO nanocomposite. Furthermore, the EPDM/GO nanocomposite is elongated up to 700% in the presence of SDS. A mechanism for the physical interactions between EPDM macromolecules and GO nanosheets and influences of SDS presence on such interactions is reported based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies.