Rubber-Wood Composites from Chemically Modified Olive Husk Powder and Carboxylated Nitrile Butadiene Rubber: Cure Characteristics, Tensile Behavior, and Morphological Studies

Abstract

Olive husk powder (OHP) was chemically treated using sodium hydroxide, silane coupling agent, and stearic acid. The treatment was performed to improve both the dispersion of the OHP as well as the degree of interactions between the filler and the matrix. The treated OHP was mixed with carboxylated nitrile butadiene rubber (XNBR) using a lab-scale two roll mill. The potential of the treated filler on the cure characteristics and tensile performance of the fabricated samples was monitored. We found that the cure characteristics and the tensile properties were increased after the incorporation of the modified OHP into the matrix. The interactions between the treated OHP and the XNBR were inspected by attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR). The spectra revealed the emergence of a new peak at 1770 cm−1. This suggests the occurrence of a condensation reaction between the modified OHP and the carboxylic group of the XNBR. The morphology of the fractured surfaces of the samples was inspected under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The images revealed an improved filler dispersion and better degree of interaction with the matrix after chemical modification.