Mechanical Reinforcement in Polymers/graphite Composites Prepared in Bulk and Membrane Forms

Abstract

Two different Composite samples of NR and IIR were prepared with
graphite as reinforcing filler in bulk and membrane forms. Tensile tests were
performed at room temperature to explore the rule of graphite on the
mechanical reinforcement of these composites. For bulk form, tensile modulus
was found to increase with filler loading which could be explained using the
percolation theory. Different models were applied to account for the
experimental data. For NR in the membrane form, the percolation threshold is
lower than that in the bulk form while the tensile modulus has increased to
about 18 times than its value in the bulk state for NR.