"Obtenção de nanocompósitos argilas organofílicas/borracha".

Abstract

The organophilic clays have a great number of applications in the several technological areas such as reinforcement filler in polymeric matrix, which produces a new class of materials presenting a high potential to be used and it has been the aim of several researches. Vulcanized rubbers are normally filled with carbon black that improves mechanical strength. The carbon black, responsible for the black color of rubber, is obtained from petroleum and is also a serious environmental subject due to pollution caused by its use. The aim of the present research is to focus the attention for the development of reinforcement agents by organophilic clays, to substitute the black carbon in the rubber. For such purpose, national smectites from Boa Vista city, Paraiba, Brazil were modified to obtain organophilic clays. For this modification it was used a commercial Brazilian quaternary ammonium salt named: trimethyl hexadecyl ammonium chloride. It was also performed a study with an imported organophilic clay to compare with the organophilic clay prepared in laboratory. The samples were submitted to a physical-chemistry and mechanical characterization. The results confirm the formation of organophilic clay/rubber nanocomposites system and these materials presented better mechanical properties when compared to the rubber filled with the same amount of carbon black .