本研究對丁基乳膠摻混奈米級黏土，使奈米黏土於橡膠機材中，達到奈米級分散即剥層(exfoliation)或插層(intercalation)之結構，故將利用奈米球磨機先將奈米黏土乳化分散再分別以乳膠法(Emulsion)與共凝聚法(Co-coagulation)的方式製備丁基橡膠之奈米黏土複合材料，最後將複材進行加硫得到奈米橡膠成品。 研究之基材為丁基橡膠，運用丁基橡膠乳膠進行乳化摻混實驗，再以XRD、TEM分析黏土之分散性，發現乳膠法與共凝聚法所得之複材結構不同，另以DMA、TGA測定其在不同黏土與相容劑比例下的熱性質改變，再利用透氣性分析儀分析阻氣性提升率，其中以乳膠法制備丁基橡膠複材(EmR-5)於DMA檢測Tg為-24.76oC，下降約 3 oC是由界面活性劑造成潤滑作用，熱分解溫度為(Td) 342 oC，Td值上升19oC可歸咎於黏土分散性佳，阻絕氧氣進入材料之入徑，而以共凝聚法製備上，其Tg及Td並無顯著改變顯示出黏土分散性不佳。最後，利用萬能拉力機比較各樣品機械性質的提升，以乳膠法製備之奈米橡膠其硬度測試較純料提高20%，而拉力提升約2倍。 Isobutylene–isoprene rubber (IIR) latex and layer silicate (Na+-MMT) were prepared by latex and co-coagulating methods. The mode of dispersion of layered silicates in these nanocomposites was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). TEM images demonstrate partially exfoliated and intercalated via latex method, and purely intercalated via co-coagulating method. Furthermore, the surfactant played an important role for interlayer distance in IIR via latex method. Especially, nanocomposites prepared via latex method could increase the interlayer d-spacing after curing process.
In addition, the tensile and thermal properties of IIR/silicates nanocomposites were much higher than that of the neat IIR. And, the tensile properties and decomposition temperature of the IIR/silicates nanocomposites (EmR-5) increased by 200% and 20oC, respectively. The gas barrier properties of the nanocomposites (EmR-10) decreased by 50%. Finally, a remarkable improvement of the tensile properties was observed for the IIR/clay nanocomposites (via co-coagulating method) only if the loading of the silicate is greater than 10 phr.
