Poly(dopamine)-modified microcrystalline cellulose,a green reinforcing filler for natural rubber latex with high performance

Abstract

ABSTRACT The presence of a large number of reactive -OH groups on the surface of the microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) causes the MCC to easily agglomerate together due to hydrogen bonding, reducing the dispersion of the MCC in the NRL matrix. At the same time, the poor interfacial compatibility between the hydrophilic MCC and the hydrophobic NRL substrate does not achieve a good reinforcement effect, thus limiting to a certain extent the application of MCC in rubber substrates. The surface modification of MCC by poly(dopamine) (PDA) for improving the performance of rubber composites and broadening the application of MCC in NRL matrix, and improving the dispersibility and interfacial interaction of nanofillers in natural rubber latex (NRL) composites was studied. We report the effects of the MCC/PDA ratios on the vulcanization characteristics, the Payne effect, and the mechanical properties of the developed composites. These facts exhibit that not only the processing properties but also the mechanical performance of NRL/MCC/PDA are better than those of the NRL/MCC composites. This study reports an efficient approach to improving the interfacial interaction of the nanocomposite. Based on this, as a green reinforcing filler, MCC modified with PDA shows great potential in reinforcing NRL composites. Furthermore, a simple dip-coating method was used to modify the surface of MCC with dopamine. FTIR, TGA, and XRD confirmed the interaction between PDA and MCC.