Use of Waste Rubber and Bionanofiller in Preparation of Rubber Nanocomposites for Friendly Environmental Flooring Applications | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Chemistry | ||
| Article 5, Volume 63, Issue 7, July 2020, Pages 2457-2471 PDF (2.12 M) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejchem.2019.20433.2225 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Basma Saleh; Soma A. El Mogy* | ||
| Polymer Metrology and Technology Department, National Institute of Standards (NIS), Giza, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| One major environmental problem that cannot be solved on a large scale is the tire waste. Such tires accumulate to form waste mountains which cannot be easily handled. This study suggests a solution, if succeeded, that consumes half of this waste, when applied. The waste tire powder (WTP) is blended with natural rubber (NR) then mixed with a natural bionanofiller in the ratio of 1:1. This bionanofiller is the rice husk nanoparticles (RH-NPs) it was made by ball milling technique then added to WTP/NR in different concentrations; 0, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 phr to give WTP/NR nanocomposites. Another batch was prepared in which the RH-NPs were mixed with an unsaturated polyester resin adhesive (PEA). The effect of adding PEA in addition to RH-NPs on the prepared nanocomposites was also investigated. Morphological studies via SEM analysis revealed that, at low content of RH-NPs (2.5wt.%), the RH-NPs were homogeneously dispersed in the nanocomposite matrices. TGA analysis declared that the addition of RH-NPs enhanced the thermal stability of WTP/NR nanocomposites, especially for those containing PEA. Mechanical tensile properties including tensile strength, Elongation modulus and elongation at break percent lead us to the same results. Results of testing the antimicrobial activity showed that the addition of the bionanofiller had a significant effect in enhancing the antimicrobial activity (AMA) against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria, while the use of PEA affected badly AMA. Thus, the addition of RH-NPs in low percentages to WTP/NR composites enhances the mechanical, abrasion, thermal insulation properties as well as compression set. The prepared nanocomposites show antibacterial activity against S. aureus. This study offers a solution to manage a serious environmental problem by with a potential of being safely used in flooring applications such as kinder garden, hospitals and school playgrounds. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| waste tire powder/natural rubber blend; rice husk bionanofiller; unsaturated polyester adhesive; Scanning Electron Microscopy; mechanical; thermal and antimicrobial properties | ||
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