Experimental study of the effects of halloysite nanoparticles and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber elastomer on mechanical properties of PVC/NBR/HNT nanocomposites

In recent years, polymer-based nanocomposites have been widely used in various industries such as shipping, aircraft, automotive, and medical industries due to their good mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of halloysite nanotube nanoparticles (HNTs) and the nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) content on the mechanical properties and microstructure of polyvinyl chloride / acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (PVC/NBR) thermoplastic elastomer nanocomposites. Response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD) were used to study the tensile strength and elongation at break. The morphology of PVC/NBR/HNT nanocomposites was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the maximum tensile strength was obtained at the HNT amount of 4.7 wt. %, while at high HNT levels the tensile strength will be decreased. Increase in NBR content from 20 wt. % to 40 wt. % causes an appreciable decrease in tensile strength. The elongation at break increased with increasing the NBR content, while the elongation at break decreased when the HNT content increased. The results of SEM show that the fractured surface of the samples gets rougher, the tensile strength increases.