Enhanced dispersion and mechanical properties of hydrophobized graphene oxide/butyl rubber nanocomposites via solution process

Butyl rubber/hydrophobized graphene oxide (HG) nanocomposites were prepared by solution mixing followed by compression molding process, and evaluated their properties using scanning electron microscope (SEM), oscillating disc rheometer (ODR), universal testing machine (UTM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The hydrophilic graphene oxide (GO) obtained through the oxidation of graphite (GP) was first hydrophobized with octadecylamine. The HG exhibit excellent dispersibility in toluene and stable under stationary condition for over 30 days. The chemical structure and functionality of HG was analyzed by fourier transform infrared (FTIR), raman spectroscopies, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) patterns. HG was successfully dispersed within BR matrix and result in significant reduction of curing time (around 30%), enhanced tensile strength (around 35%) as compared to the pristine butyl rubber. The air permeability of the hydrophobized graphene oxide composites was also significantly reduced by 75% compared to unfilled butyl rubber.