Noncovalent assembly of carbon nanofiber-layered double hydroxide as a reinforcing hybrid filler in thermoplastic polyurethane-nitrile butadiene rubber blends

A new synthetic route was applied to develop carbon nanofiber (CNF)-layered double hydroxide (LDH) hybrid through a noncovalent assembly using sodium dodecyl sulfate as bridging linker between magnesium-aluminum LDH and CNF and then characterized. Furthermore, this hybrid was used as nanofiller in thermoplastic polyurethane-acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (TN; 1:1 w/w) blend. Mechanical measurements showed that the 0.50 wt % hybrid loaded TN blend exhibited the maximum improvements in the elongation at break, tensile strength, and storage modulus of 1.51 times and 167 and 261% (25 degrees C), respectively. Differential scanning calorimetric analysis and thermogravimetric analysis showed maximum improvements in the melting temperature (5 degrees C), crystallization temperature (17 degrees C), and thermal stability (14 degrees C) in the 0.50 wt % surfactant modified carbon nanofiber-LDH loaded blend compared to the neat blend. Such enhancement in the properties of the TN nanocomposites could be attributed to the homogeneous dispersion, strong filler-blend interfacial interaction, and synergistic effect. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43470.