Acrylic Rubber-Reinforced Halloysite Nanotubes/Carbon Black Hybrid Fillers for Oil Seal Applications: Thermal Stability and Dynamic Mechanical Properties

In this study, we show that adding halloysite nanotubes (HNT) to carbon black (CB)-packed acrylic rubber (ACM) composites improves their thermal properties. The thermo-oxidative stability, thermal stability, and dynamic mechanical properties of ACM composites (filled simply with 70 phr CB) and ACM hybrid composites comprising a fixed amount of CB (60 phr) and a variable amount of halloysite nanotubes (HNT) (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 phr) were investigated. As evidenced by the oxidation induction time analysis, hybrid structures support a higher degree of antioxidation in composites reinforced with twin fillers than composites reinforced just with CB. ACM composites with dual fillers had greater breakdown temperatures (temperatures at 10% weight loss (T10) and 50% weight loss (T50)) and char residue concentration at 600°C than ACM conventional composites, according to thermogravimetric tests. The activation energy of the thermal disintegration of ACM composites, as determined by the Kissinger and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa techniques, shows that the addition of HNT improves the thermal stability of ACM composites. The storage modulus of ACM composites was increased by 79 percent at 30°C when 10 phr of black filler was replaced with 6 phr of tubular HNT, according to additional viscoelastic experiments.