Morphological, thermal and tensile properties of halloysite nanotubes filled ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) nanocomposites

A novel ethylene propylene diene monomer/halloysite nanotubes (EPDM/HNT) nanocomposite was prepared by mixing 0-100 parts per hundred rubber (phr) of HNTs with EPDM on a two-roll mill. The results obtained show that the tensile strength, elongation at break, tensile modulus at 100% elongation (M100) and crosslink density were tremendously increased with increase of HNT loading. The thermal and flammability properties of nanocomposites were enhanced, especially at HNT loading higher than 15 phr. Morphology of the fractured surfaces of EPDM/HNT nanocomposites were studied by SEM and TEM. The morphological study revealed that homogenously dispersed HNTs inside the EPDM, the interfacial and inter-tubular interactions between HNTs and EPDM as well as the formation of HNTs' zig-zag structures, especially at high HNT loading, were the main reasons for the significant improvement in mechanical and thermal properties of EPDM/HNT nanocomposites.