Chapter 7 - Thermal, electrical, and sensing properties of rubber nanocomposites

Abstract

Nowadays, the different types of nano-carbons such as carbon nanotubes, graphene and nano-diamond are considered as revolutionary materials, since they present outstanding electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. The expansion of the knowledge related to their syntheses and their unique properties has favored important advances in the development of new type of elastomer composites. Elastomer composites with enhanced electrical and thermal properties are possible to obtain by using low amounts of these nano-carbon based materials as filler in elastomer matrices. On the other hand, the wide range of commercially available rubbers and thermoplastic elastomers provides a number of possibilities in order to obtain tailor-made elastomeric materials. Herein, concise information concerning the preparation methods, properties and application of elastomer composites filled with nano-carbon based materials is presented. The role of nano-carbon based materials in the transport properties of resulting elastomer composites is emphasized, which is attributed to the formation of a percolation network of filler through the elastomeric matrix. Likewise, the influence of the viscoelastic properties and the behavior of elastomers in presence of oil and organic solvents on sensing properties of electrically conducting elastomer composites filled with nano-carbon based materials is discussed.